Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta and Produce
- 200 g spaghetti or linguine
- 300 g cherry tomatoes, whole, washed
- 3 garlic, peeled and smashed
Sauce and Finish
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 719 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 82 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 654 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 17 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 227 mg
- Potassium
- 259 mg
- Calcium
- 61 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 4 mg
- Phosphorus
- 258 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 171 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 27 mcg
- Water
- 16 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife, crush the garlic cloves flat. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, placing the yolks in a small mixing bowl.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a vigorous boil at 100 degrees C / 212 degrees F. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, usually 8 to 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic cloves and cook until deeply golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic with tongs, leaving the infused oil in the pan.
Increase the heat under the skillet to medium-high. Add the whole cherry tomatoes to the garlic-infused oil. Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes to blister, then toss and continue cooking until they burst and release their juices.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the unsalted butter to the blistered tomatoes, swirling the pan gently until the butter is completely melted and lightly emulsified with the tomato juices.
Reserve 60ml of starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the skillet with the tomatoes and butter. Mix vigorously with tongs to coat the noodles evenly.
Remove the skillet completely from the heat. Whisk 20ml of the hot pasta water into the egg yolks to temper them. Pour the tempered yolks into the hot pasta, tossing rapidly and continuously until a glossy, creamy sauce forms. Ensure the residual heat slightly thickens the sauce without scrambling the eggs, reaching around 71 degrees C / 160 degrees F for food safety if using pasteurized eggs.
Season generously with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Tempering the egg yolks with a small amount of warm pasta water gently raises their temperature, significantly reducing the risk of scrambling when they hit the hot pasta skillet.
- Do not rush the charring of the cherry tomatoes. Let them sit undisturbed in the hot oil initially so they develop deep, smoky blisters before tossing to release their juices.
- Because this sauce relies entirely on starchy pasta water, butter, and egg yolks for its texture, use a high-quality bronze-die extruded pasta which releases more starch into the boiling water.
- Garlic can go from perfectly toasted to bitter very quickly. Remove it as soon as it reaches a deep golden color to ensure the infused oil remains sweet and aromatic.
Storage
Reheating: Not recommended. This dish must be eaten immediately upon finishing.
Troubleshooting
Egg yolks scrambled into hard yellow lumps.
Cause: The skillet was left on the heat, or the hot pasta was not tossed quickly enough when the eggs were added.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Always remove the pan from the heat completely before adding eggs, temper the yolks properly with warm water, and keep the pasta moving constantly.
Sauce is too thick and clumpy, rather than smooth and glossy.
Cause: Insufficient liquid or starch to form a stable emulsion with the fat.
Fix: Vigorously stir in additional hot pasta water, 10ml at a time, until the sauce loosens and becomes glossy again.
Prevention: Always reserve more pasta water than you think you need.
Cultural Context
This dish draws inspiration from traditional Italian techniques, specifically the emulsion method used in classic Roman dishes like Carbonara. By substituting the rich pork fat with a garlic-infused olive oil and blistered tomato base, it creates a lighter, vibrant vegetarian alternative that still boasts a luxurious, velvety finish.
