Mortadella Carbonara

By Ali Slagle

Published March 13, 2024

Mortadella Carbonara
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(470)
Comments
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This pasta celebrates mortadella, the soft Italian cold cut made of pork seasoned with black pepper and nutmeg, and often dotted with pistachios. As ribbons of the tender, delicately spiced meat tangle with long noodles, its milky fat melts into the sauce of egg and cheese for an incredibly silky dish. By using mortadella instead of guanciale, as is traditional in carbonara, you don’t need to cook the meat first, so this dish can be made in one pot. Green peas add pops of freshness, but skip a pistachio, basil or mint garnish (tempting as it may be) to avoid detracting from the main attraction. Top the finished dish with more black pepper and Parmesan and savor all the richness mortadella has to offer.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1pound spaghetti, bucatini or another long noodle
  • 1cup (5 ounces) frozen peas (no need to thaw)
  • 2whole large eggs and 4 egg yolks
  • 1cup (3½ ounces) grated Parmesan or pecorino, plus more for serving
  • 4ounces sliced mortadella, thinly sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

488 calories; 16 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 503 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, adding the peas in the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain, then return the pasta and peas to the pot.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, Parmesan, and several cranks of black pepper until smooth. Slowly whisk ½ cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture.

  3. Step 3

    Off the heat, add the mortadella to the pasta. While tossing the pasta constantly, slowly pour the egg mixture into the pasta. Continue to toss until the sauce is silky and resembles heavy cream. If the mixture seems tight and there isn’t any sauce in the bottom of the pot, add a tablespoon or two of pasta water. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then top servings with more Parmesan.

Ratings

4 out of 5
470 user ratings
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Comments

Redmacrose

To the people wondering what to substitute the egg yolks with the answer is nothing. If you don't want to eat the egg yolks make another dish. Simple. Not everything has to be modified.

Mark

If you swapped out the mortadella for guanciale or pancetta, this recipe would be roughly the same as any other carbonara. Probably one more egg yolk than average. If you served 4, each person would be eating 1 egg plus 1/4 of a yolk and 1 ounce mortadella and 3/4 ounces of parm. Hardly the cholesterol fest depicted by some of the comments. Also, many carbonara recipes do call for garlic. Marcella Hazan and Guiliano Bugialli for example. This recipe deserves more than 3 *

Michael Volpatt

Made this and loved it. I sautéed the mortadella prior to adding it to the pasta to brown it a bit and give it a little crisp. I also added the zest of one lemon before serving which I think brightened it up quite a bit.

John C Sweet

I added a squeeze fresh lemon to each serving, and perfecto!

Suellen

I followed the recipe exactly. Well, I added a spritz of lemon juice. It was very simple and very good. I, too, have avoided carbonaras, thinking they were too hard. How could the hot pasta cook the egg mixture sufficiently?

Leo the Third

I have no idea what the nay-sayers are talking about. This recipe is super solid. The mortadella (if you’ve bought a good one) does the subtle seasoning for you. The only thing I would add is a squeeze of lemon over the final plating. Love this one, already planning to make it for discerning company. Thank you!!!

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