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Rigatoni Carbonara with Ricotta

Rigatoni Carbonara with Ricotta

This creamy, one-pot carbonara, inspired by the late, great Judy Rodgers, uses starchy pasta water for extra creaminess and lightens up the sauce by using ricotta as a base.

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    35 minutes
  • Rating

For this one-pot meal inspired by Zuni Cafe’s Judy Rodgers, we cook pasta in a minimal amount of water, concentrating the starch in it to help thicken the sauce. Avoid pre-grated Parmesan; it typically is too coarse and won’t blend well with the sauce. Look for a good-quality ricotta cheese without stabilizers.

Tip

Don’t stop stirring the pasta as the ricotta mixture is added; this prevents it from clumping.

Ingredients
  • 1

    cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

  • 2

    ounces Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 cup), plus extra to serve

  • 2

    large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks, beaten

  • 4

    cups warm water, divided

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 6

    slices bacon cut into ½-inch pieces (about 6 ounces)

  • 4

    garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • ½

    teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 12

    ounces rigatoni pasta

  • 1

    cup frozen peas, thawed

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs and yolks, ¼ cup of the water, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 2

In a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium, cook the bacon until just crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pot. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the remaining 3¾ cups water and 1½ teaspoons salt and bring to a boil over medium-high. Stir in the pasta, reduce heat to medium and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until al dente, 10 to 13 minutes.

Step 3

Off heat, stir in the peas and reserved bacon. Let pasta sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta mixture, tossing to coat the pasta and form a creamy sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

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