Penne a la Carbonara

I have to admit, I am not really a Giada fan. Her show on Food TV never quite interests me. However, some of her dishes are quite appetizing! I found this one on foodnetwork.com, and decided to try it. the pancetta makes this dish amazing!! I was a little scared about the sauce when making it, it is different than most sauces you would use on pasta. It had a unique, yet not strange, flavor that we really loved! It was pretty easy, and Cody has offically approved it for our future menus!

Adapted from: Giada

8 oz. pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes  

8 oz. diced chicken breast, cooked (I added this, it is not necessary)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper  

3 eggs, at room temperature  

1/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature  

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan  

8 oz. pound dried penne(or rice pasta to be gf)  

1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a large pot, boil 3 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.

(O, and p.s., the breadstick recipe is soon to come, and I WILL NEVER MAKE ANOTHER RECIPE EVER AGAIN!!!)