spaghetti carbonara

carbonara is one of my favorite pasta dishes. it has bacon. need i say more? the egg makes it creamy, the cheese and bacon give it that tasty, salty bite and the parsley gives it a touch of freshness. and to top it off, it's a breeze to prepare.

mise en place

spaghetti carbonara
serves 2
8 oz. spaghetti
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
1 egg
1/8 cup olive oil
4-6 slices bacon
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
fresh flat leaf italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

in a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and 1/4 cup parmesan. set aside.

bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. salt the water, add spaghetti and cook until al dente. about 7-9 minutes.

in the meantime, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat for 1 minute. add the bacon and sauté until it starts to brown and becomes crispy on the edges. add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half. you want to have this step done before the pasta is done cooking.

drain pasta (do not rinse!) and immediately add to the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture. toss quickly. it's important to do this quickly so that the heat from the pasta cooks the egg mixture, making a creamy coating, and not curdle.


add the bacon with all of the pan juices, parsley, salt and pepper and toss. top with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan and a little more parsley and serve.


the portions of this recipe will feed 1 boy & 1 girl perfectly. i think it will also work to feed 3 girls for a light lunch. obviously, you can double, triple the recipe as needed.

bon appétit~!