Carbonara spaghettoni with octopus, bacon, and cheese chips
35 oz octopus ( 1 kg )
3 oz smoked bacon cubes ( 80 g )
1 egg
2 yolks
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp grated pecorino cheese ( or parmesan cheese )
2 tbsp grated provolone cheese ( or Havarti, Edam, Gouda cheese )
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
1 sprig thyme
pepper ( to taste )
salt ( to taste )
Cook the octopus
Boil the octopus for at least 50 minutes, until it turns tender; let it cool in its cooking water, then cut it into little pieces.
Make the cheese chips
Meanwhile, mix the provolone cheese (if you can't find the Italian provolone cheese, you can use Havarti, Edam, or Gouda cheese) with the parmesan cheese, the bread crumbs, and a pinch of pepper; spread the mix on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and bake at 360°F for 10 minutes; remove from the oven, let cool, and break up the solidified compound, creating the chips.
Prepare the bacon
In a large non-stick pan, fry the smoked bacon with the peeled garlic without seasoning, then dry the pan using absorbent paper in order to remove the excess fat. Add the pieces of octopus, some thyme sprigs, and cook for a few moments; remove the clove of garlic and keep warm.
Cook the pasta and make the egg sauce
Fill a pot with abundant water, add a pinch of salt, and wait for it to boil. When the water starts to boil, put the spaghettoni in it without breaking them, gently pushing them underwater. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the egg and the two yolks with the pecorino cheese (or parmesan), and a pinch of salt. Keep aside some cooking water. Drain the pasta, transfer it to the octopus and bacon pan, and mix carefully.
Complete your dish
Move the pasta to the bowl with the beaten eggs, mix, and add some cooking water. Place the cheese chips on the pasta, add some thyme leaves, and serve.
Spaghettoni
In Italy, there is an endless variety of pasta: from fresh to dried pasta, long or short pasta, and different types based on the ingredients with which it is made. Spaghettoni are a type of long pasta, similar to spaghetti, but thicker. Spaghettoni usually take about 15 minutes to get ready, differently from the spaghetti, that take about 10 minutes. But always remember to look at the instructions on the packaging.
