Skillet Carbonara Casserole
Ingredients
12 ounces center-cut bacon, chopped fine
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1 1⁄4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
5 1⁄4 cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1 pound penne pasta
Instructions
1. Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off fat from pan, reserving 3 tablespoons. (Or drain bacon in a sieve over a bowl and reserve 3 tablespoons of fat from the bowl.)
2. Pulse bread, 1⁄4 cup cheese, 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper, one quarter of crisp bacon, and 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat in food processor until coarsely ground. Whisk eggs, milk, remaining cheese (1 cup), and 3⁄4 cup water in medium bowl.
3. Heat remaining bacon fat (1 tablespoon) in empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook until reduced to 1⁄4 cup, about 3-6 minutes. Stir in remaining water (4 1⁄2 cups), penne, and 3⁄4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 15 to 25 minutes. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler.
4. Off heat, add egg mixture and remaining crisp bacon to pan and toss to combine. Top with bread-crumb mixture and broil until golden brown, about 2-5 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Serve.
Comments
I love carbonara so when I saw this recipe in Cook’s Country 2009 Annual I knew that I should give it a try. While the cooking method bears little resemblance my usual carbonara preparation, I was surprised that the taste was pretty much spot on. I also had some trepidation about the sauce thickening up in step 4 and, just from reading the recipe, I feared it would be soupy. But the America’s Test Kitchen people know what they’re doing and it worked perfectly. The sauce thickened up with no problem and Lance and I both had seconds. And then more for lunch the following day!
Cook’s Country 2009