Spaghetti Carbonara

(Bacon & Eggs Spaghetti)

I was leary about posting this recipe because it's something you throw together without even reading a recipe card and what really makes the dish is the cooking technique. It's so delicious - one of my family's favorites. This is a regular (at least once a month) in our house! Traditionally, italians make this with pancetta or prosciutto (an italian style ham / bacon) - but who can afford that? We use bacon (on sale of course) and it is like a gourmet meal! Once you get the hang of this dish - you will make it again and again as it is affordable and delicious!

1 lb. bacon (chopped into 1" pieces)
1 small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 cup of white wine (or 1 cup of beer) - to deglaze the pan
2 cups parmesean cheese * (see note) reserve a 1/4 cup or so to sprinkle on top
handfull of chopped parsley (or a couple tbsp. of dried)
4 eggs - beaten
1 lb. spaghetti

Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet - as the fat starts to render add onion & garlic.

Start the water to boil for the spaghetti - when it comes to a boil add a good amount of salt** (see note) and start to cook the spaghetti.

When the bacon starts to get crisp - turn down the heat until the spaghetti is done. Don't deglaze the pan until the spaghetti is ready.

When the spaghetti is done, drain the grease off the bacon turn up the heat a little and deglaze the pan with the wine. Reserve some hot water (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)in a small sauce pan before draining the spaghetti. Drain the spaghetti and dump immediately into the skillet. Toss with tongs.

Ok, here is where it's a little tricky -

Pour the reserved hot spaghetti water into the beaten eggs while whisking them (this is called tempuring the eggs so they don't "scramble").

Put 1 1/2 cups of Parmesean cheese in the spaghetti pan

Pour in the tempured eggs, add the parsely

Take your tongs and toss, toss, toss; continually until the eggs are "cooked". This is hard to explain because the eggs mix with the parm cheese and sort of make a saucy custard like coating.

Serve immediately with more parm on top!

*I buy parmesean cheese in a chunk and grate it on a large grate (the same size as cheddar) You can also buy already grated parmesean cheese - which I've used in this dish and it works fine. DO NOT USE CANNED PARMESEAN CHEESE.

**I was watching Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Network and he said when salting water for pasta you want to add enough salt that it's actually like a broth. Since watching that I started adding a good amount to my pasta and it really does taste better (like a couple 3 tablespoons of kosher salt for a large pot of 16oz spaghetti).