Pasta Carbonara with Sujuk (Sucuklu Makarna Karbonara)

Pasta Carbonara with Sujuk (Sucuklu Makarna Karbonara)

1 lb any kind pasta
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½-1 cup sujuk, cubed or sliced into small strips
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for serving
½ tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished. It is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
Cook the pasta in salty boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm. Drain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sujuk and saute for about 3 minutes, until is crisp and the fat is rendered. Stir in the garlic and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.
Mix the hot pasta and the sujuk over the heat to keep hot. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with ground black pepper and taste for salt. Take into warm serving plates and garnish with fresh parsley. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired.