Linguine Carbonara

Often used making spaghetti, this is a dish originating from Rome, Italy. There are so many different things that have been added to it over the years and you can even buy a ready made sauce called carbonara sauce. Which to me is odd as it isn't meant to actually be a sauce.

This version sticks as closely to the original - no wine, no onions, no parsley, no mushrooms and particularly, no cream. You can, of course, add what you like but I believe the beauty is in the absolute simplicity of the dish.

You can't go wrong and you will love this simple, quick to cook, Linguine Carbonara.

Ingredients:     (Serves 2)

100g streaky bacon
40g parmesan cheese
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
250g linguine
black pepper

Method:

Heat your serving dishes in a low oven. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the linguine. While this is cooking, beat the eggs and egg yolk in a jug and add all but one tablespoon of the cheese, stirring well.

Snip the bacon into small pieces using kitchen scissors and dry fry (there should be enough fat in the bacon, if there isn't add 1 scant tsp. oil). When the bacon is beginning to crisp (but not brown) and the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of the cooking water.

Add the pasta to the bacon and stir well to cover the pasta with the bacon juices. Take off the heat and add the egg, cheese mix and stir well. The heat of the pan will cook the eggs and thicken. Add a tablespoon or two of the cooking water to loosen and serve immediately. Top with the reserved cheese and serve immediately.

Note: I served this with some leftover ciabatta, toasted and spread with the garlic puree I made the other day. Delicious!