Lest Bacon think I’m Cheating on it with Butter, Here is More of Nature’s Perfect Food

This Carbonara is amazing.

Be sure to cook your pasta properly. Again, use lots of vigorously boiling, heavily salted water. Keep tasting so you don’t overcook. If you overcook pasta you might as well throw some jarred sauce on it and call it a day.

This is best served for one or two. It can be tricky in large quantities and you don’t want to scramble the eggs. It would not be cool.

First chop several rashers of bacon or pancetta and fry in a hot pan. While it cooks put the pasta water on the boil and crack two eggs into a bowl with some shredded Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese. A half cup will do and you might want to grate a little extra to finish the Carbonara as well. When the bacon is almost perfectly brown and crisp add a few cloves of chopped garlic. Give that a minute to work its magic then throw a cup of booze into the mix, preferably white wine or vermouth. Vodka works too in a pinch. Go ahead and take a slug, you’re a grown up now and you can do whatever you want. Rub the pan a bit with a spoon to get those lovely bacon bits off the bottom. Let the booze bubble away into a reduced golden syrup.

Of course the water has boiled by now and you added enough spaghetti or linguine for the one or two of you and given it a few stirs. Right before the noodles are al dente, remove a mugful of the pasta water and reserve.

Working quickly, use tongs to lift the pasta out of the pot and into the bacon pan. Don’t worry about draining too much – the starchy water is a good thing. Give this a toss or two. Now slowly whisk half of the reserved pasta water into the eggs. Be sure not to add it too fast and scramble them. Turn off the heat and carefully incorporate the egg mixture into the pasta. The heat of the noodles will cook the eggs and if you toss it fast enough they should not scramble. Add more pasta water if the mixture is on the dry side and top with copious amounts of freshly ground pepper. Chow down with a huge glass of white wine and a feeling of self-satisfaction.