My Favorite Last-Minute Recipe

I love to cook. Especially not traditional American spaghetti and meatballs, mac and cheese and pizza. The best recipes are those that are uncomplicated, with bright flavors and fresh ingredients... but that sounds a little cliche. Here, from one of my favorite cookbooks, Tyler's Ultimate by Tyler Florence, I present Spaghetti Carbonara, a dish that is so easy and so palatable my entire family will cross swords for the last noodle.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb noodles (we've experimented and I like Strozzapreti best, a short-cut noodle that is rolled across it's width, if you can find it)

8 slices bacon (pepper-crusted is amazing), chopped very roughly

1 onion, diced

4 eggs

Large splash of cream (the heavier the more heavenly)

1/4 cup Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano if you can afford it)

2 T. Parsley 

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. While waiting for that, cook the bacon in a saucepan. Remember, when cooking bacon on the stovetop, if the bacon and pan are both cold, the bacon will not shrink up so much as when it's dropped into a sizzling pan. Mr Florence adds 3 T. of butter or so to the pan, but I think that's too much grease. You'll see what I mean in a minute. Once the bacon is half way cooked to crisp, add the onion and continue on medium - medium/high heat until the bacon is crisp and the onions soft and sweet.

While waiting for that, crack your eggs in the serving dish. Whisk to creaminess then pour in your cream and cheese and whisk some more. This is your succulent egg sauce which is delicious wrapped around whatever kind of noodles you have.

By now your water is ready. Cook the pasta to al dente. Pour the hot, crispy-cooked bacon, onion, grease and all into the egg mixture and whisk thoroughly. Add 1/4 cup of hot, starchy water that the noodles cooked in, with the the drained noodles to the dish as well. Mix in the parsley and pepper. (Personally, I sprinkle them on the top and don't bother about mixing in the seasonings) Toss; turn off the oven and 'bake' in there while waiting for your family to come to the table, about 7.3 minutes (less if they know that Carbonara is on the menu).  Tyler does not include this baking step, but instead places a plate on top of the serving pan for 5 minutes; the heat of the noodles and bacon mixture cooks the eggs. My sister and Mom like their creamy egg sauce a little more well done, however, and so I accommodate.