Spaghetti Carbonara

Tonight we decided to eat in, initially I was going to make a basic pasta with tomato sauce and ground beef but my roommate found a carbonara recipe at the last minute, its inclusion of bacon sold her immediately. The ingredients are pretty basic and we had everything called for sitting around the house. I substituted spaghetti for bow-tie pasta which made little difference other then add a cute touch, I enjoyed the finished product, it's a  solid homemade and fairly quick carbonara recipe that I'd definitely make again. I used less onion then the recipe called for because my roommate hates an obvious onion presence in any food. I used a few more cloves of garlic then required and put all of the seasonings in the beaten eggs which worked well to season the overall dish. Although the recipe says to use just salt and pepper but I tried adding some red pepper to give it a little heat and some Ms. Dash seasoning to add some taste dimension . I've posted the recipe below and the link where it was found in case you're interested in finding more recipes for fun and easy dinners. I've also posted some pictures of the cooking process for a visual guide. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

• 1 pound spaghetti
•   2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 slices bacon, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
3. Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
4. Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table

 

 

Link to recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Carbonara-II/Detail.aspx?src=etaf