There’s only one thing I can say about this dish: It’s so good you won’t believe it.

　　

Ingredients

4 main-course servings

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　6 large eggs, at room temperature

　　1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

　　1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

　　1 pound dried penne

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　

Step 1

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over a medium flame. When almost smoking, add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and remove the pan from the heat.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Do not rinse the pasta with water; you want to retain the pasta’s natural starches that help the sauce adhere.

　　

Step 4

While the pasta is still hot, return it to the pot, and quickly toss with the browned pancetta, then the cream mixture. It’s important to work quickly while the pasta is still hot so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Toss with the remaining cup of Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve.

　　Cooks' Note

　　If you can’t find pancetta, bacon is a good substitute.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.