easy

This weekend has been insane. I caved and painted the paneling white. I also accidentally dyed my hand yellow (don’t ask). And I learned how completely out of shape I am because how much painting a room hurt my body! I try not to eat too much pasta, but I felt like I deserved some after twelve long hours of priming the walls. What better way to just sit down already, watch La La Land, and relax than a 20 minute dish like Spaghetti Carbonara.

I’ve been reading Ruth Reichl’s book Garlic and Sapphires, where she discusses her experience disguising herself during her time as food critic for the New York Times. It’s a fascinating read. In her book, she shares a recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara. Most restaurants serve carbonara with a cream sauce, but it’s not traditionally made this way. The authentic way is to crack an egg into the hot noodles, making a delicate and creamy sauce. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods. So today, I’m sharing my version of Spaghetti Carbonara, the real way. But I like mine with peas. I don’t know if that’s traditional but that’s how I usually have it.

The key to making sure the eggs don’t cook like scrambled eggs in the hot pasta is to first temper them using pasta water. Just whisk in a little hot water at a time until they’re warmed.

The crispness of the peas with the salty bacon can’t be matched. When I ate this dish I wished I made pasta more often.

I hope you enjoy my recipe! Let me know what you think.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA WITH PEAS RECIPE

serves 4

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cup of frozen peas

1 lb of dried spaghetti

3 eggs

1 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

black pepper to taste

olive oil

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook about 9-10 minutes until al dente, reserving a half cup of pasta water. Drain. (Be sure to make your sauce while the pasta is cooking so the hot pasta is done at the same time as the bacon and peas).

Meanwhile, cut the bacon into half inch strips crosswise. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan. Add the bacon. Cook until bacon is browned. Drain half the grease. Add the garlic and peas to the pan, stirring until peas are no longer frozen or about one minute. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add a spoonful of the hot pasta water, whisking. Continue to add a spoonful of pasta water at a time then whisking until the eggs are just warm. Add the eggs to the hot pasta, mixing until coated. Mix in the bacon and pea mixture. Mix in the parmesan cheese. Serve hot topped with cracked black pepper.