Spaghetti Carbonara

By Caroline Cummins, from the Culinate Kitchen collection

Serves	4
Total Time	25 minutes

Introduction

This rustic Italian classic makes a quick dinner. Because the main ingredients are bacon and eggs, it also occasionally turns up as a brunch dish.

Ingredients

	16	oz. (1 lb.) spaghetti, linguini, perciatelli, or other long, slippery dried pasta
	8	oz. pancetta or ordinary bacon, diced
	2	eggs, beaten
	½	cup extra-virgin olive oil
	1	cup freshly grated Parmesan
	½	cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, minced
	~	Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Bring a pasta pot full of salted water to a boil.
2. While the water heats, cook the diced pancetta or bacon over medium heat until the bacon bits are thoroughly cooked.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, Parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper. Scoop a little of the hot pasta water into the oil-cheese mixture and stir thoroughly.
4. When the pasta is done, drain it, and put it back into the pasta pot. Pour the bacon, along with its cooking fat, over the pasta. Pour the oil-cheese mixture over the pasta. Stir well. The eggs and oil should make a slick coating for the long strands of spaghetti. Serve hot, with a generous grind of pepper, passing more Parmesan cheese as desired.

Notes

Variations on the bacon-and-eggs basics include slipping a few thick slivers of garlic in with the bacon fat (and removing them before they brown), putting a dash of red chile flakes to the hot oil, adding about 1/2 cup white wine to the simmering bacon, pouring a dash of cream or whole milk to the oil-cheese sauce, and mixing a bit of Pecorino Romano cheese in with the Parmesan.

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