Pasta carbonara is the one (1) thing that I make better than my mother. And I'm proud to say that it's
really better than hers, by a lot. That's it though, for absolutely everything else--she's the master. There's a magic trick going on with this dish--how does so little turn into so much and how does it all happen so fast? Bacon, of course, is part of the answer. And it is all ready to go in the time it takes you to boil the water for the pasta.
I use half a package of bacon and cut it up into 1 inch pieces.
Cook them until crispy and set aside.
Meanwhile get your water boiling because once the bacon is crispy all you'll be waiting on is the pasta. Use a thin pasta, like spaghetti and salt your water heavily.
Have someone open a bottle of red too, while you're waiting around.
OK, the pasta is probably close to done, so break two eggs into a big bowl and grate about 1/2 cup of Parmesan in there.
Add salt and pepper and beat it all together really well to combine.
Your pasta is done! Drain it, drizzle a bit of olive oil or some of your bacon fat over the top and then instantly add it into your egg-cheese mixture. Toss it well, keep it moving--try to get every strand of pasta coated with the mixture.
Add in your bacon pieces and don't be shy about a little grease getting in there too.
You should be rewarded by a glossy, creamy sauce studded with bacon that is best served right away. A weird alchemy takes place binding the egg and melting the cheese right to the hot pasta. If you end up with scrambled egg on your pasta then you are my mother. You have no recourse. Go back to making red sauce.
I usually add a handful of minced parsley and squeeze a little lemon over right before serving to cut the richness. It's pretty much the most delicious thing ever, so stand back.
Pasta carbonara is the one (1) thing that I make better than my mother. And I'm proud to say that it's really better than hers, by a lot. That's it though, for absolutely everything else--she's the master. There's a magic trick going on with this dish--how does so little turn into so much and how does it all happen so fast? Bacon, of course, is part of the answer. And it is all ready to go in the time it takes you to boil the water for the pasta. 
I use half a package of bacon and cut it up into 1 inch pieces. 
Cook them until crispy and set aside. 
Meanwhile get your water boiling because once the bacon is crispy all you'll be waiting on is the pasta. Use a thin pasta, like spaghetti and salt your water heavily. 
Have someone open a bottle of red too, while you're waiting around.
OK, the pasta is probably close to done, so break two eggs into a big bowl and grate about 1/2 cup of Parmesan in there. 
Add salt and pepper and beat it all together really well to combine.
Your pasta is done! Drain it, drizzle a bit of olive oil or some of your bacon fat over the top and then instantly add it into your egg-cheese mixture. Toss it well, keep it moving--try to get every strand of pasta coated with the mixture.
Add in your bacon pieces and don't be shy about a little grease getting in there too.
You should be rewarded by a glossy, creamy sauce studded with bacon that is best served right away. A weird alchemy takes place binding the egg and melting the cheese right to the hot pasta. If you end up with scrambled egg on your pasta then you are my mother. You have no recourse. Go back to making red sauce.
I usually add a handful of minced parsley and squeeze a little lemon over right before serving to cut the richness. It's pretty much the most delicious thing ever, so stand back.
