Vietnamese Cajun Carbonara

Creamy and indulgent pasta carbonara spiked with a playful Cajun heat and Vietnamese flavors. 

Ingredients

Procedure

Prep

1. In a heavy bottom pot, bring 5 quarts of unsalted water to a boil. Add linguine, stirring with tongs to keep noodles from sticking together. Cook until al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking, in a sauté pan over medium heat, cook off bacon lardons until crisp around the edges.
3. Deglaze pan with lime juice, stirring until bacon is shiny and fond has been lifted from the bottom of the pan. Remove from pan and reserve for service. Drain off excess rendered fat and discard.
4. Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1 cup of water. Toss pasta with small amount of oil, divide into 4-ounce portions and hold refrigerated until service.

Service

1. For each serving, whisk together 2 egg yolks and 1/2 tablespoon of Vietnamese Cajun Seasoning. Set aside.
2. In a sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant.
3. Add pasta to pan and stir to coat, ensuring pasta is warmed through all the way. Reduce heat to low and add 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water and egg mixture. Cook over low heat until sauce has thickened, tossing until pasta is fully coated. Garnish pasta with 1/4 cup cooked bacon, 1/2 teaspoon of Vietnamese x Cajun Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon lime zest, 1/2 tsp scallions and 1/2 teaspoon of chives. Serve immediately.