Pasta Carbonara with Bacon
Quick and easy pasta dish when you are short on time! Serve by itself in a big bowl with plenty of parmesan and bacon on top. Or serve with a simple green salad on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 pound vermicelli or spaghetti
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 pieces bacon
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- pinch red pepper flakes or to taste
- 2 large egg yolks lightly beaten
- 1 cup freshly grated parmeggiano reggiano plus more for serving
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- ¼-½ cup heavy cream
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 handful parsley finely chopped, for serving
- ½-1 cup pasta water reserved from cooking pasta
Instructions
- Put a large pot of salted water on the stove; bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat up a large skillet on the stove and add the olive oil. Cook the bacon until browned and crispy; remove from pan and drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the beaten egg yolks with the parmesan cheese, stirring well to prevent lumps.
- When the water is boiling, put the pasta in the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente.
- Turn the heat down in the skillet to medium low heat, toss the garlic into the hot pan with the oil and bacon fat and saute for less than one minute, to soften. Add the butter.
- Now add the hot al dente pasta to the skillet –I use tongs to move the pasta directly from the pasta pot into the skillet. Using the tongs, toss the pasta around for about 2 minutes to coat the strands with the fat in the pan. Add ¼ cup cream.
- Remove from heat and pour in the egg/cheese mixture along with some of the reserved pasta water. Stir very quickly until the eggs thicken. Thin out the sauce with more of the reserved pasta water and a bit more cream if necessary to reach desired consistency.
- Season the pasta with the black pepper, taste to see if it needs salt. To serve, place the carbonara into serving bowls and garnish with the crumbled bacon, the parsley and more freshly grated cheese. Mangia!