Spaghetti Carbonara

I recently finished reading Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires.  The former New York Times restaurant critic's book is studded with great recipes.  Among them are risotto primavera, New York cheesecake, gougeres and roast chicken with potatoes, onions and garlic.

A week or so ago, Sandy and Kathie brought salad, dessert and wine, and I made Reichl's spaghetti carbonara.  Fresh Market carries Nueske's bacon, so I used 1/2 pound of that.  And I resisted the temptation to leave the garlic in the finished dish.

 

It was delicious.  Here is her recipe:

Spaghetti Carbonara

Contrary to the recipe so often used in restaurants, real carbonara contains no cream.  The real thing also uses guanciale, cured pork jowl. but to be honest, I like bacon better.  I think of this as bacon and eggs with pasta instead of toast.  It's the perfect last-minute dinner, and I've yet to meet a child who doesn't like it.

1 pound spaghetti
1/4 to 1/2 pound thickly sliced good-quality bacon (I prefer Nueske's)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 large eggs
Black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano cheese, plus extra for the table

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  When it is boiling, throw the spaghetti in.  Most dried spaghetti takes 9 to 10 minutes to cook, and you can make the sauce in that time.

Cut the bacon crosswise into pieces about 1/2 inch wide.  Put them in a skilleet and cook for 2 minutes, until fat begins to render.

Add the whole cloves of garlic and cook another 5 minutes, until the edges of the bacon just begin to get crisp.  Do not overcook.  If they get too crisp, they won't meld with the pasta.

Meanwhile, break the eggs into the bowl you will serve the pasta in, and beat them with a fork.  Add some grindings of pepper.

Remove the garlic from the bacon pan.  If it looks like too much fat to you, discard some, but you're going to toss the bacon with most of its fat into the pasta.

When it is cooked, drain the pasta and immediately throw it into the beaten eggs.  Mix thoroughly.  The heat of the spaghetti will cook the eggs and turn them into a sauce.  Add the bacon with its fat, toss again, add cheese and serve.

Serves 3.

 

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