Ai has a sense of humor & riffs "Carbonfredo" & Bacon Carbonfredo

PROMPT: Give me a recipe for making pasta carbonara using Alfredo sauce

Unfortunately, traditional carbonara does not actually use alfredo sauce. Carbonara is made with a sauce derived from eggs, parmesan, pancetta or guanciale (cured pork), and the starchy pasta cooking water - no cream.

Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made from butter, cream or milk, and parmesan - no eggs or pork.

While you could certainly toss hot cooked pasta with alfredo sauce and crispy pancetta or bacon, that would not be an authentic carbonara. The egg and pancetta are what define the carbonara sauce.

However, if you'd still like to try making a pasta dish that combines elements of alfredo and carbonara, here is one approach:

Pasta "Carbonfredo"

Ingredients:

- 8 oz spaghetti or bucatini

- 4 oz diced pancetta or bacon

- 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

- 1 cup finely grated parmesan

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

- 4 tbsp butter

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, and 3/4 cup parmesan.

3. In a skillet, cook pancetta/bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a plate.

4. In the same skillet, melt the butter with garlic over medium-low heat.

5. Add cream and bring to a bare simmer. Remove from heat.

6. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.

7. Then whisk the tempered egg mixture back into the cream in the skillet.

8. Add drained pasta and pancetta/bacon and toss to coat, letting the residual pasta water help thicken the sauce if needed.

9. Garnish with remaining parmesan and parsley.

This combines the creamy alfredo elements with the cured pork and egg components of carbonara. But for an authentic carbonara, it's best to skip the cream completely. Let me know if you'd prefer a more traditional carbonara recipe instead.

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