This is a very inexpensive pasta dish. Think about some of your favorite aspects of breakfast all combined into pasta for lunch or dinner! Chances are you probably have all of these ingredients in your fridge. It is a very quick and delicious meal to make when you are in the mood for something creamy and savory.
During my travels to central Italy, this was one of my favorite meals to get as a "primo" course. Traditionally, this dish is made with pancetta, but in this recipe I used bacon!
Ingredients:
8 oz spaghetti
5 slices bacon or substitute: pancetta, shiitake mushrooms(v)
1 tbsp garlic
1 cup heavy cream or substitute: unsweetened cashew creamer(v)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup parmesan or substitute: nutritional yeast(v)
5 egg yolks
𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
Bring a pot of water with salt (about 1 tablespoon) to a boil. Once the water begins to boil add spaghetti and cook according to the directions on the package. While the water is beginning to boil cut up to five slices of bacon into bite-sized pieces. Cook bacon on medium-high until crispy. Once the bacon is cooked turn off the heat add minced garlic to the same pan.
Add heavy cream, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and parmesan to the pan. The pan should still be hot from cooking the bacon, but at this point turn the fire back on to low heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Then, turn off the fire.
Whisk egg yolks in a bowl and then add to the pan. Drain pasta from the water when it is finished cooking. Add pasta to the pan of carbonara sauce and combine.
Garnish with more parmesan cheese and parsley.