Quick and Easy Pasta Carbonara

This is my go-to dinner when I have nothing planned, nothing thawed, and no energy or time to make a nutritious dinner. I always have bacon in the freezer, and luckily bacon thaws super quickly. And since we keep a flock of hens, there’s always at least a few eggs to utilize. I also buy boxed spaghetti specifically to have on hand for this dish, but really any shape of pasta will do. This meal comes together so quickly, and my family is always impressed. I love that it is made up of simple ingredients that almost everyone keeps on hand.

You will need:

1 lb dried spaghetti noodles, or dried pasta of your choosing

1lb bacon

2 eggs

1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

fresh parsley for garnish

Start by boiling water to cook pasta. In a large serving bowl, whisk eggs and add in Parmesan. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook until crisp in a cast iron skillet. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions. When pasta is done cooking, remove from water with a slotted spoon and add directly to bowl with beaten eggs and cheese. Add bacon with slotted spoon. Toss to combine. The hot pasta helps to cook the eggs and create a silky sauce. Season with salt and pepper and top with fresh parsley.

That’s it! It takes just minutes. Now, I do realize that depending on the brand of both the pasta and the bacon, some packages are now 12oz rather than the traditional 16oz. I use whatever I have. My family is 3 people, and even with a 12oz box of pasta, this makes plenty. If you have more mouths to feed, consider going with a full pound of pasta.

I have also dressed this up with the addition of garlic or shallots, when time allows. But typically I save this meal for times when I am short on time and just stick with the basics. I know this isn’t ‘authentic’ according to most Italians. But my goal is to feed my family delicious and nourishing food, and this recipe meets those requirements. I do enjoy making fresh pasta from scratch, but for this meal, I always used dried boxed pasta for the sake of convenience. But if you do make fresh pasta, this would be even more delicious.

Try it and let me know what you, and your family, thinks!