Temperatures here in East Tennessee have been hovering in the 90’s for weeks and standing in a hot kitchen is just that…HOT! So I have been testing recipes that gets me in and out of the kitchen in a jiffy but still gives my family a wonderful, tasty meal at dinner time.
Of course, everyone loves a good pasta dish but when you add in crisp bacon and freshly grated parmesan cheese…well, you have a superior dish to serve! Spaghetti Carbonara (or actually any pasta Carbonara..ha, ha) is delicious simplicity at its best. What is so great is that it only has a few main ingredients that you usually have on hand in your own pantry and fridge. You probably won’t even have to go to the market for this one!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti, broken in half (or your favorite long pasta)
- 2 large eggs (it’s best to set these out of fridge at least 20 minutes before preparing recipe)
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leave
*Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghetti according to the package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook bacon until crispy brown, reserving the excess fat in the pan
- Add in minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for an additional minute on low heat
- While bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk eggs and parmesan together in a small bowl
- You must work quickly for this next step! Temper your eggs by whisking in a small amount of your pasta water into egg mixture. (You don’t want scrambled eggs!)
- Lift your pasta directly from pasta water to your pan with the bacon mixture; stir in the egg mixture to the pan. Add in one tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time until you reach your desired thickness. (Since I lifted my pasta directly from the water, I only needed one tablespoon of the reserved water).
- Serve immediately and garnish with parsley to add some bright color.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with some additional parmesan cheese, if desired and serve this beautiful dish with a side salad and dinner roll….Yummy
Bottom Line
This is the most decadent weeknight dish ever! I will be making this again and again..It would even be nice as a small side dish with some shellfish or chicken. Let me know how this recipe works with your family. I am Chef Frankie…always in the kitchen, having fun, and cooking with Wild Abandonment!
reciperealities 
We love Italian food especially Spaghetti Carbonara recipes, this was an amazing and delicious recipe for dinner and very easy to make.
Cheers
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