After a year of neglect, I'm back to blogging about food! I appreciate the feedback I've received that tells me a few of you, at least, haven't given up entirely! My plan is to be more regular about postings.
I've had several requests for my Pasta Carbonara. The recipe I use is not "mine", but one from Ruth Richel's 1971 A Feastiary that I found online. I learned about Pasta Carbonara from an interview I heard on NPR's "Fresh Air". Terry Gross was interviewing Ruth Richel a few days after Gourmet magazine announced it was discontinuing its print version. Ruth Richel was the editor of Gourmet at the time and the news was a surprise to her. I've read two books by Ruth Richel, Tender at the Bone, a memoir of her childhood cooking experiences, and Garlic and Sapphires, a memoir of her time as the restaurant critic for the New York Times. Both are fine reads. She has a great sense of humor.
Back to the recipe. This is a yummy dish that qualifies as comfort food and can be prepared in minutes with items probably on hand. It has bacon in it. What isn't better with bacon? And use high quality bacon, boutique bacon if you please. Thick sliced and meaty. You only need two strips per serving so indulge. I keep the bacon in my freezer, wrapped in four slice packets. Also helps to use good parmesan cheese. And I will admit that I did change Ruth Richel's recipe a bit to suit my taste and diet.
Pasta Carbonara
Serves 2
4 oz dried spaghetti
4 slices bacon
1 clove garlic
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Put a large pot of water on to boil. When boiling, add the spaghetti and cook per package directions or about nine minutes. I use whole wheat spaghetti and break the pieces in half for easier tossing.
Break the egg into the pasta serving bowl. Beat with a fork until well mixed. Add pepper.
While the spaghetti cooks, cut the bacon in 1/2 inch cross-wise pieces. Peel the garlic. Heat a saute pan on medium/medium-high heat. When hot, add the bacon and cook until the fat begins to render, about two minutes. Add the garlic clove and cook for another five minutes until the bacon starts to just get crispy. Do not overcook. You will want a little bacon fat for the pasta so remove any that seems like too much. Remove the garlic clove.
When the pasta has cooked, drain. Immediately put into the serving bowl and toss with the egg. The heat from the hot pasta will cook the egg into a nice sauce. Add the bacon with its fat and toss again. Add the cheese and serve. If the pasta is too dry for your taste, add a tablespoon or two of the pasta cooking water after you add the bacon.
This isn't exactly health food, but sometimes you need to feed your mental health! Enjoy!
Nutritional Information:
460 calories, 40 grams carbohydrates, 34 grams protein, 25 grams fat
