Spaghetti Carbonara With Parslied Proscuitto Breadcrumbs

Amped-up version of the carbonara I had while living in Italy.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3  slices prosciutto
• 2  slices  country bread, 1 day old
• 4  tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped and divided
• 1  lb spaghetti
• 1⁄2 lb pancetta, 1/4 inch large dice (Guanciale is more authentic, if you can find it, cured pig's jowl. Don't knock it 'til you've tried )
• 4  large eggs, very very fresh
• 1  tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 1  cup pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated
• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place prosciutto and country bread on a baking sheet. Bake until the prosciutto is crispy and bread is browned and dry, 7 to 10 minutes. If one is done before the other, remove from sheet and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Let cool, then pulse with 2 tablespoons parsley in food processor until finely ground. Discard any pieces of bread that did not grind down. Set aside.
2. Put water on to boil for the pasta; don't forget to liberally salt it.
3. In a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat, saute the pancetta/guanciale in olive oil until most of the fat is rendered and it's just a bit crisp on the outside. Add garlic and cook until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool - the eggs will overcook if you don't allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes.
4. Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk with Romano cheese.
5. Cook the pasta to the box instructions for “al dente”, strain and toss into the skillet with the pancetta/guanciale. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water to thin your sauce later if needed.
6. Add eggs to the pasta along with remaining parsley, and toss to coat - the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs, and cheese into beautiful, creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick for you, add a bit of the reserved pasta cooking water. Salt and liberally pepper the pasta to taste. Place pasta in bowl used to beat eggs and toss one more time before serving - this is key for extra silky sauce!
7. To serve, top with the proscuitto breadcrumbs and freshly grated parmesan.