Quick Dinner: Spaghetti Carbonara

Two of my husband's favorite foods are eggs and cheese.  He is a smart man with refined taste buds. 

Spaghetti Carbonara is really just bacon & egg pasta. My first taste of it was in England, 24 years ago, at a friend's home. I loved it. But that was just post-college, when my culinary interests were minimal and it didn't cross my mind to ask for the recipe. It was only a few years ago that I remembered this dish and have since tried a few carbonara variations. 

This one emerged as the keeper. It comes together quickly and is cost effective. I have vowed to not ever make this when I'm home alone because I wouldn't be responsible for how much I'd eat. My advice is to put a green salad on 3/4 of your plate to help with portion control. 

Adapted from a find on allrecipes.com.  

Spaghetti Carbonara
Printable Copy

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti 

2 T olive oil 

4 slices pork bacon*

4 slices turkey bacon*

1 onion, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c white wine (optional - I add if I have) **

4 eggs

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste 

In a large pot of boiling water, cook spaghetti pasta. Drain well. Toss with 1 T of olive oil, and set aside. 

Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook bacon until slightly crisp; remove and set on paper towels to drain excess grease.  To the bit of bacon fat remaining in the pan, add 1 T olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add wine and cook one more minute. 

Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Push spaghetti to sides of pan; add beaten eggs and cook in middle, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Add Parmesan cheese and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with extra Parmesan cheese.  And lots of green salad.  Might even be better as a leftover, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

*You may use 8 slices of just one type of bacon, or substitute ham, panchetta or prosciutto.  

*We're not huge white wine fans.  When we do open a bottle, I freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays.  When frozen, I pop and and put into Ziploc bag to store in the freezer.  They don't completely harden, but I can easily take out what I need for a recipe.