Woman Connected to Recipe: Virginia Perl
Submitted by Regina Folken
About Virginia:
Virginia Perl first came into my life as a series of stories and photographs. At some point in my teen years she became my Auntie Gin. She took care of me like a mother, chatted through my loneliness, quelled my anxiety, witnessed my elation and supported my decisions. She was the first person I would tell, call and ask. My fondness for her and my appreciation for the impact she made on my everyday was a treasure.
About Virginia's Spaghetti Alla Carbonara:
Born into poverty on a chicken farm, Virginia was a force of beauty , perseverance and grit. This is a recipe past down from her longtime butler and chef Amidas from a period in her life when she had great wealth. She spoke Italian and lived many years in Rome so you can imagine it was perfected in the right place over time. While at one point she lived a life of luxury, she struggled for many years after, overcoming self doubt, alcoholism, unemployment and loss. She was loved, healthy and talented when she died in a tragic car accident a few days before Christmas 2016. She was in a good place in her life and only few weeks from finishing her memoirs. This meal was an easy staple at which we shared many good conversations.
INGREDIENTS
4 tbsps soft butter
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup freshly grated reggiano parmesan
freshly ground pepper
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb bacon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
Fry the bacon and save half of the bacon grease. Add heavy cream & the red pepper flakes and keep warm. When the bacon cools, crumble it into the grease / cream mixture.
In a small bowl, cream the butter by beating it against the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon until it becomes soft and fluffy. Set aside.
In another small bowl, beat the eggs and the egg yolks with a fork until they are well blended. Then stir in half of the grated cheese. Set aside.
Cook the spaghetti (7-12 minutes, according to the package instructions), drain and throw back into the empty hot pot.
Stir in the butter to coat the strands of spaghetti. Then stir in the hot bacon / cream mixture... keep stirring. Finally add the eggs & cheese and stir into the spaghetti. The hot spaghetti and bacon / cream will cook the eggs on contact. Season with salt and some grindings of pepper. serve with the grated cheese on the side.