Wednesday market carbonara

From time to time I like to take a break and walk to the Wednesday Place Carnot market next to Lyon Perrache station. It is one of those rare markets where most of the produce is either organic or at least from local farms, making it more sustainable and seasonal and to be fair, much more exciting, as with the changes of the seasons, there is so much change in produce that it just makes one adapt and be creative. I do have my favourites at that market, with whom I speak my very broken French, yet I had never seen a stand that inspired me to make this simple and creamy carbonara. As I stood in the queue to get my jambonneau that I would turn into a very local dish with lentils, I noticed a lady in front of me buying thin slices of smoked pork belly, so beloved in French cuisine. It was at that moment I knew, a carbonara would be on the menu one day soon. And it was.

280 g thick spaghetti

sauce:
2 tbsp mild extra virgin olive oil
135 g lightly smoked pork belly, cut into small cubes
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
4 small egg yolks
40 finely grated Parmesan
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Boil water and when it is bubbling, add salt and pasta, and cook according to the manufacturer cooking instructions.

In a pan, add oil and heat it on medium-high heat. Add the pork and fry until it is cooked and some pieces get crispy. If there is too much fat, discard some. Turn off the heat, add garlic and rosemary, and mix in.

In a bowl, mix egg yolks and cheese.

When pasta is ready, strain, leaving some 50-70 ml of water in a pot. Add pasta to the meat and mix in. Add egg mixture, and that extra water, and mix in. It is essential that the pan has been off the heat for a few minutes and has cooled a bit, otherwise the egg will turn into a scramble. Mix and then return to heat for a minute or two, mixing all the time, so that the sauce coats all of the pasta. Serve with extra cheese, if you wish, and freshly ground pepper.