October 9, 2009

Spaghetti Carbonara

Challenge just got real.

Thursday, the ball was back in my court. Dish night. Lots of variables, lots of ingredients. Spaghetti Carbonara is a fairly straight-forward dish…if you know how to make pasta.

I had to dig deep, face my demons, somehow, some way turn these little sticks into intersecting, fluffy pasta. I went to the Wizard of Google for solace, for answers.

The prep time on this is 30 minutes and I plowed through the process in an hour and a half. But, I can’t give Victoria’s grandfather enough credit for absolutely nailing these measurements. Get that right, figure out how to fundamentally make pasta, the rest is a breeze.

Fry up some bacon, don’t burn your hands, use your shiny, dusty Kitchen Aid mixer to close the deal.

If I may be so bold, this has been the best dish so far. Or rather, my favorite of the recipes printed.

All glory to God. Shout outs to my wife on the appetizing staff art.

  • 1 lb. spaghetti, cooked according to pkg. directions
  • 8 ozs. bacon (8 slices), cut into 1 inch pieces
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • ½ cup half and half
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan and half and half. Set aside. Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese.

No comments: