The Perfect Egg and Bacon Dinner Standby, Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

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Truth be told, I hate food shopping so I always push the limit when it comes to what I have in the house to feed the family. When I am stuck, I always fall back on a family favorite that involves most of the breakfast staples of bacon, eggs and cheese, reinvented into a Spaghetti alla Carbonara. My husband’s go to  Italian dish, so simple and so good when made correctly.

When we were dating, many moons ago, we had our favorite little restaurant on Laurier street, in Montreal called Spaghettata.  Without fail, Paul would always order his Carbonara and a Ceasar salad. We have come a long way since those days but there is no doubt that a good Carbonara is still a family favorite.

I have figured out an easy, slightly cheating way of always having creamy Carbonara, without worrying about eggs becoming scrambled. This is a family recipe that all the kids have taken with them to University.

The Perfect Egg and Bacon Dinner Standby, Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 heaping bowls

Bacon and eggs in another form....our favorite go-to meal when all else fails. I am often quite liberal with this pasta so I sometimes add parsley as I love anything green!

Ingredients

  • 250gm (1/2 pd) dry spaghetti
  • 2 large eggs
  • 6 slices of bacon, cubed or 1/3 cup of pancetta, cubed or proscuitto (as in this picture)
  • 2/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 2 splashes of cream
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
  3. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the water for the sauce.
  4. While the pasta is cooking, cook up the bacon or pancetta in a large frying pan until brown and crispy. Remove from heat and reserve in pan.
  5. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, 1/2 cup of cheese and cream. Set aside.
  6. Return the frying pan to medium heat, and deglaze the bacon and its bits with 1/4 cup of cooking water.
  7. Strain then toss the spaghetti into the frying pan to coat with the bacon flavoured pasta water.
  8. Allow to cook for a few minutes before removing the pan from the heat and adding the egg mixture.
  9. Once the egg mixture is added to the pasta, do not return to heat as the eggs could scramble. If you prefer a runnier sauce, add a bit more pasta water.
  10. Season with cracked pepper and cheese.
  11. There is seldom need for more salt as the bacon is often salty enough.
  12. Divide the pasta into bowls and serve immediately.
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