Cinnamon-Pancetta Carbonara

I might know what you are thinking... Are you thinking something like, "CINNAMON in pasta???" The answer is yes. And yes, it is good! Last Tuesday, I spent the entire day relaxing in bed, which means it was a darn good day.  I spent a lot of the day watching Food Network and The Cooking Channel. I saw Giada making this pasta dish on one of her older shows and thought that adding cinnamon to a pasta sauce was the craziest thing I'd ever heard. At the same time, I was intrigued. So I got online and saw that the recipe was a 5-star rated recipe. So I knew I had to try it...

I've always been fascinated by carbonara - and scared to make it. I always felt like I would get it all wrong and scramble the eggs. But the truth is that as long as you follow the recipe and slowly heat the sauce, it will turn out right. By right I mean the cream and the eggs will marry to create this really creamy and delectable sauce. This particular sauce is extra special because of that hint of warmth that the cinnamon provides in the background of the sauce. And of course I love the marriage of the salty pancetta and bacon - and the way my house smelled as it was cooking.

So back to the cinnamon. I know it sounds super strange. But trust me. Try it. The recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, but I sprinkled it slowly into the sizzling bacon and pancetta mixture and I was satisfied with slightly less than 1/4 teaspoon. I also added a good grind of pepper at the end. It's an odd combination, but it's perfection.

Images by me