Best Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Bacon Bits - Recipe

Описание: A shortcut spin on a classic pasta dish, my outre entree uses cheap ingredients for a tasty meal. I use a raw egg in hot pasta to be cautious. Visit the Chef's food blog for cheap ingredients, recipe text & photos: http://the99centchef.blogspot.com/201...

Ingredients
Spaghetti - 1/4 package. I used a quarter of a one-pound package of dried spaghetti for a single serving. Cook per package directions. I usually shave off a couple of minutes of cooking time for pasta al dente.

Bacon Bits (I prefer real bacon, not imitation) - an 8-ounce package of real Bacon Bits. Bacon Bits come in different package sizes, so the total is about 3-4 tablespoons. Okay to use a couple slices of crumbled cooked bacon. Authentic Pasta alla Carbonara calls for Pancetta.

Black Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground if you have it.

1 Egg - for a richer sauce use an extra egg yolk.

Parmesan - 2 tablespoons of grated or shaved. I used grated parmesan from a container. Keep it real with a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano to shave from. Add more parmesan to suit your taste.
Water for boiling pasta - reserve 4 tablespoons of hot pasta water for the sauce.

Directions
Add pasta to boiling and salted water. Cook pasta while preparing the rest of the carbonara -- I usually shave off a minute or two from package directions boiling time for pasta al dente.

Bring one pot of water to boil for pasta. Add pasta when the water boils. Some cooks add a lot of salt to the water, I don't but go ahead if you like.

Cook pasta to package directions -- but stop a couple of a minute or two early for al dente pasta, or pasta with a little chew to the texture.

You should stir the pasta a few times as it cooks so the spaghetti does not clump and stick together.

While pasta cooks, in a small bowl mix one raw egg with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan, and about one teaspoon of black pepper. Whisk together until well blended. Set aside for final assembly.

(If you like really big pieces of bacon, then saute up a couple slices instead of bacon bits. Crumble bacon when done. You can drain off the grease, or leave a tablespoon or two for flavor.)

The same goes for Pancetta, although you usually cube Pancetta first then saute it until browned.

Over low/medium heat carefully add cooked pasta right from the pasta pot Into a large pan. Add about 4 tablespoons of hot pasta water to the spaghetti. I don't drain the pasta, just fish it out of hot water and go right into the frying pan.

Now time to bring it all together.

Finally, pour in the egg, black pepper, and parmesan mixture. Mix well and allow to heat through for about 30 seconds - careful not to make scrambled eggs. The egg mixture will thicken the hot pasta water to make a slightly thick sauce.

Finally, sprinkle on the Bacon Bits. I usually add Bacon Bits last, as they become mushy if they soak too long.

It is ready to eat with a final tablespoon sprinkle (or more) of grated parmesan per serving. (If you are using freshly shaved parmesan, then add it as a topping when ready to serve.)

Since I add my raw egg to hot pasta and hot water, over a low-heating pan, the egg is heated through. If you are wary of raw eggs, it's okay to drop a separated whole egg yoke into boiling water for about 30 seconds (or a little longer.) When pasta is done and parmesan/black pepper is added, finish the dish by adding one or two lightly poached egg yokes on top.