Pasta Carbonara

I had a trial yesterday that ran into the evening and by the time the man of the house and I finally got home and got around to attending to dinner we were both famished.  Though we had plenty of staples on hand there wasn't much other than a frozen pizza that could be ready in under half an hour.  There also wasn't a whole lot of energy left to come up with a creative dinner.  When I looked into the fridge I saw Parmesan cheese, bacon and eggs and finally it dawned on me to prepare a simple and hearty Pasta Carbonara.  From idea to the first bite barely 20 minutes elapsed. 

I used Emeril's recipe and halved it because there were only two of us for dinner, but this could easily be scaled up or down to feed a few or a crowd.  The recipe posted below will serve four (or more) hungry adults.

You'll Need:

1/2 pound bacon
1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound fresh spaghetti, cooked al dente
4 large eggs
salt and pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish (optional)

Getting Started:

Fill a large pot with water and set to boil.

Mince garlic, chop parsley and grate cheese.

Cut bacon into 1/2" wide strips.

Now You're Cookin':

Put spaghetti into the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large saute pan until crisp.

Drain the bacon on a papertowel and drain off all but 3 Tb of the bacon grease.

When pasta is fully cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain pasta.

Add minced garlic to the saute pan and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add bacon and pasta to the pan and turn off the heat.

Crack eggs over the pasta and stir constantly to combine.

Add grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

If the mixture is dry and hard to mix add the pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

Split pasta into bowls, top with parsley and serve.