Pasta Carbonara

One of my teaching buddies, Steve Brindisi, loved this dish!  I remember discussing it with him on one of those rare days when two teachers sit down and actually have an adult conversation over lunch that does NOT include discussing troubled students and what to do with them.  Steve was a fabulous cook, a gifted teacher and a true Italian.  I remember making this for him as a surprise for dinner when he was home trying to get well from the cancer that would take him from us.  He loved it and was SO happy I'd remembered what he'd taught me.  I still miss him!

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:
1 box spaghetti
salt
1/2 pound bacon (pancetta if you can get it)
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
4 eggs, beaten
handful of good Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese
S/P
chopped parsley, if desired

Procedure:
Bring a large pot of water, with salt, to boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to directions.
Cut the bacon into small bits and saute until crispy - 5-6 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Pour off the grease except for 2 tablespoons.  Saute the garlic for 30 seconds (don't overcook garlic - it gets bitter!)

Drain the pasta and put the hot pasta right back into the empty pot and put the pot back on the cooling burner.  Add the eggs and the cheese and stir gently - the heat from the pan and the pasta will cook the eggs and melt the cheese.  (You can turn the burner back to low, if needed, to finish off the eggs if they remain too liquidy - remember eggs will continue to cook from the pan to the plate.)

Serve the pasta topped with the bacon and garlic and a dusting of parsley.

I served this with red peppers, garlic, scallions, zucchini, and yellow squash that I had sauteed in 2 T of olive oil and finished with 1/2 t oregano and S/P.  Dessert was a dessert shell, 1/3 c of mascarpone cheese, chopped nectarines, and whipped cream, of course!