Jinhua Ham Carbonara (Classic & Variation)

[Classic version] Put the pancetta in a frying pan and cook until crisp. Any pancetta you like is fine, including bacon.

Once the pancetta is crisp, remove the excess fat from the pan.

Add heavy cream to the pan.

Boil the fresh pasta. Since it is fresh pasta made with just flour and eggs, it cooks in about 2 minutes.

Drain the cooked fresh pasta and add it to the sauce in the pan.

With the heat off, grate in the Parmesan cheese. There is no need to rush and stir at this point.

Turn the heat back on, toss everything lightly, and once it thickens, the classic carbonara is done.

[Variation] Melt butter in a frying pan.

Add slightly less than 1 teaspoon of Jinhua ham paste (even less is fine). Cook until the bubbles grow larger, the moisture evaporates, and it becomes slightly browned.

Add the cooked fresh pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Add olive oil if you like.

To finish, add heavy cream to mellow it out, then add the egg. If the egg looks like it may curdle, add a little water. Cook using only the residual heat.

Use the residual heat to bring everything together smoothly, then plate to complete the variation. Butter and Jinhua ham paste alone give a complex depth of umami.