# pasta carbonara raw egg question



## enrico747 (Jun 19, 2011)

Pasta carbonara is one of our favorites.   But I often cook for groups or dinner guests and I am a bit concerned about the way the recipe handles raw eggs.    Does the warm pasta really cook the egg??

Any comments???


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

I'm a home cook, not an expert.  Re the carbonara, I have never found the raw egg to be a problem.  Just make sure the pasta is still pretty hot when you add the eggs, then the cheese.  This is one of my favorites also.


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## brownedoff (Apr 4, 2011)

It does cook, you can tell when the mixture thickens noticeably after about a minute of tossing.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

In the offset of the dish , no it does not really cook< but when sitting a few minutes it does. I would not worry about it . Worry more about cold preps like  Caesar dressing


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## mavenfoodscater (Jun 2, 2011)

I am pretty sure it cooks as well. But anyway if the egg is still raw, it won't kill anyone!

A lot people are eating or use to eat raw egg (only the egg yolk) for breakfast!! weird I agree...


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I whisk the eggs with the cheese, makes it easier to toss everything together.  I've never had a problem and even have fed it to my 2yr old without worrying.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Use pasteurized eggs (which you can even buy in the shell), then you don't have to worry and there is no difference in taste.


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## stuartscholes (Jun 17, 2013)

You should be fine. I've made the recipe MANY times, it's a favourite (and it's cheap and quick) in our household (including a 3 year old). The heat of the pasta would definitely cook the egg, assuming you put it in fairly soon after draining. If you plonked it in without stirring then you'd find that it would solidify the eggs (check for yourself if you're still not sure) and then scramble them when you moved it.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

If you are unsure you can temper your yolks & cream in a bowl over hot water just don't cook them.  I don't put cheese in my sauce it doesn't incorporate fully I add it after the pasta is mixed with the sauce and at the table.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

I mix the cheese with the eggs as well. It coats the noodles better and, in my experience, prevents the egg from scrambling if your pan is slightly too hot (the oil in the cheese dissipates the heat, but I could be making this up because it sounds good). I stick my finger in the pan/pasta after tossing everything together except the eggs. It I scream while doing this, it's too hot. If I can keep it there with no effect then it's too cold, but I do turn the flame off after getting to the right temp. As has been said, if you drain and toss the noodles immediately, you shouldn't have a problem. I've made this comfort food dish more times than I can remember and never got sick.


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## clove48 (Jun 23, 2012)

Enrico747 said:


> Pasta carbonara is one of our favorites. But I often cook for groups or dinner guests and I am a bit concerned about the way the recipe handles raw eggs. Does the warm pasta really cook the egg??
> 
> Any comments???


Enrico,

When the pasta comes out of the boiling water, it's at 200F or so.

If your egg, cheese and pepper mixture is ready to go, they will quickly cook at 180F or so and as tossed through, should cook to a safe temperature.

BTW, if you can buy eggs from a reputable famer, there should be no issue from under-cooked or raw eggs.


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## yeller (Mar 9, 2013)

You may want to try brown eggs since they have a richer flavor. I was planning on making this but spouse said didn't sound good. Whatever.. I was planning on adding pan seared scallops to it and use the bacon.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Yeller said:


> You may want to try brown eggs since they have a richer flavor. I was planning on making this but spouse said didn't sound good. Whatever.. I was planning on adding pan seared scallops to it and use the bacon.


Don't know where you came up with that one, but it's false.

http://www.egglandsbest.com/eggspert/eggs/white-and-brown.aspx


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## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Not to mention that in true blind (or coloured) taste testing ... people also couldn't tell the difference between farm fresh and mass produced. It's all in the colour.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/08/...mega-3s-grocery-store-brand-the-food-lab.html


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

A lot has changed since this thread was first posted.

Sous vide cooker was $1,000

Today a sous vide circulator can be less than $200.

Don't play games with food safety. A sous vide cooker can pprecisely  pasteurize your eggs.

dcarch


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Are you for real? this has been proven to be an old wives tale

Hey all you  guys do not let any health dept. know you are not cooking egg fully, I don't care what state you are in.


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## yeller (Mar 9, 2013)

chefbuba said:


> Don't know where you came up with that one, but it's false.
> 
> http://www.egglandsbest.com/eggspert/eggs/white-and-brown.aspx


These are the same people off the street that can't tell Turkey from Chicken or Coke from Pepsi ...If you have the palete you can tell..


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

I had a flock of about 20 chickens for several years, they free ranged around on about five acres. I had brown layers, white layers and easter eggers, they all tasted the same, great because of their diet.

In addition to their feed which included layer feed, sunflower seeds, corn & wheat they got fresh fruit & veggies, ate lots of bugs and what ever else they could come up with while out and about all day, sometimes even treats from the neighbors.

Brown eggs do not taste any better than white. Small flock free range eggs taste much better than any store bought egg, regardless of color and claims on the package of being cage free, those birds roam tightly packed  in a warehouse and are fed nothing but dry feed.


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