Out for dinner with my sister last week, to get away from the husbands and the three year olds, our conversation, after talking about the husbands and three year olds of course, drifted to food and recipes. Big shocker there! But I did have a big shock when she confessed to me that she doesn’t know how to make a good spaghetti carbonara. I feel like I’ve failed her as a sister! Not only do I scribe this little food blog but I also make carbonara at least once a month! To make up for my selfish behavior, I’m giving up all my carbonara secrets to her and you too. Many missteps get taken when attempting this simple dish, one of which is cream. Most Americanized versions add a good swig of the mouth coating stuff but Italians that actually live in Italy wouldn’t dream of it. Seeing as they invented it and all, I’m sticking with my Italian ancestors and keeping it simple.

Spaghetti carbonara (serves 2)

2 servings dried spaghetti
3 pieces bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
1/4 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Cook the pasta in well salted boiling water until it’s a little under al dente. (around 8 minutes) while the spaghetti is cooking, fry the chopped bacon in a large non- stick skillet until the fat renders out and it’s slightly crispy. Whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, parsley and pepper and set aside. Turn off the heat under the skillet and add the cooked pasta right from the boiling water to the bacon. Add the pressed garlic and turn to coat all the pasta. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and toss until the spaghetti is coated and creamy. (around 2 minutes) Transfer to bowls and serve!
You can make this classic treat in as much time as it takes to boil pasta! Since there are so few ingredients, make sure to use high quality products for this. I served this with a beautiful pear salad that worked perfectly. I suppose you want that recipe too?