One of my new favorite weekends of every month is that which I write and cook for you guys. I have several friends who know now when “Hungry Dater Weekend” is. Last October was particularly great since two friends and Blossom’s BiFF came over and we ate and drank and chatted. Probably our favorite dish of the night was this Carbonara. BiFF stuck around ever since–I suspect the Carbonara may have something to do with it.
I used to think Carbonara was something that was incredibly bad for you. Now, make no mistake, there’s a fair bit of fat and cholesterol in it. However, if you’re using the right ingredients and pairing it with a nice big salad or some roasted vegetables, it makes a really wonderful, filling, comfort-y, easy weeknight meal.
I was also concerned that Carbonara isn’t really that easy just because I’ve heard others say that. Turns out, it’s amazingly easy, just slightly temperamental. What I realized, after an evening of chatting, wining, photographing, and not-nearly-enough dining, you can make this dish pretty fool-proof by simply adding the egg mixture only to the warm noodles and oil after they’ve been removed from the heat rather than trying to cook them over a direct flame. This ensures a slow cook of the egg yolks and a wonderfully thick and comforting sauce which is really just eggs and cheese. Nothing too terribly unhealthy about that!
And hey, since BiFF showed up for Carbonara and stuck around since then, I’m thinking there’s a chance it’s a lucky meal too! Can’t hurt anyway. With BiFF come the kids as well, so now that we’re deep into the school year, we need lots of filling, wonderful, (lucky), weeknight meals that are easy and quick to make for school nights. Here it is!
Happy Cooking!
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1 Cup Finely Shredded Parmesan
- ½ lb. Natural Thick Cut Bacon
- ¼ Cup White Wine
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper (or more to taste)
- 2 Tablespoons Half and Half (can be the fat free if you'd rather)
- Cook the pasta according to the directions. Salt generously.
- Finely Chop the Bacon.
- Fry the Bacon in Butter or Olive Oil until crisp but not burned.
- While the Bacon is cooking, mix the Egg Yolks with the Parmesan.
- Add Wine to the Bacon pan and reduce heat to low.
- Add ¼-1/2 Cup of the Pasta Water to the Bacon mixture.
- Drain Pasta.
- Add Salt and Pepper to the Bacon mixture.
- Whisk in the Half and Half to the Bacon mixture.
- Remove the Bacon mixture from the heat.
- Add the Pasta to the Bacon mixture and toss with tongs.
- Pour the Egg and Cheese mixture into the warm pasta mixture and toss until Cheese is completely melted and the noodles are completely covered.
- Serve
Leave a Reply