Spaghetti Carbonara

A quick old favorite that I dug up from my old blog last week when The Boy was away and I was cooking for one. You can tell this is a highly casual dish from the way I'm eyeballing my measurements... precision is not required here, only comfort.

RECIPE: PASTA CARBONARA
(serves 1)

Spaghetti

1 tbsp Olive oil
Pancetta/bacon, cut into small cubes
Splash of White wine/Vermouth
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2-3 tbsp Parmesan, shaved
Pinch of nutmeg
Black pepper

*****

1. Cook pasta.

2. While that is bubbling in its pot, heat the olive oil in a pan - not too much since the pancetta will throw off some grease. The olive oil is there to add flavor. Brown the pancetta.

3. Add the wine and simmer till it is reduced to half.

4. Beat the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl - no salt since the parmesan and pancetta are salty already. That's your carbonara sauce.

5. When wine has been reduced for a few minutes, add cooked pasta and mix. Add carbonara sauce and toss. Take off the stove before you do this - you don't want an omelette! The aim is to coat every inch of pasta with the gooey, eggy, yellowy mixture, letting it be cooked by the heat radiating from the pasta itself.

Serve with shaved parmesan. I like to fry the remainder egg white and serve on top too, but that's just a personal habit.