Pasta alla Carbonara

Check out the recipe for Makin' Bacon Buns from June 24, 2007 because the bacon fat you drain from this recipe can be used for the the buns. Don't cringe, the bread is delicious and you need an appropriate fat for your buns. Ohhh, that sentence can go wrong in so many ways.

The imperial to metric conversions are not scientifically exact. The success of this recipe, any recipe really, depends on good ingredients and adjusting for minute differences. Some bacon may have more water; other bacon could be more salty. One cook may pack their cheese more densely or grate it more coarsely. Some cooks may use salted butter, others unsalted. The recipe depends on you to taste and adjust at the end. Aim for a creamy, slightly salty sauce with a good bacon bite.

Pasta alla Carbonara
1 small onion, finely diced
1 lb regular bacon (500 gr) cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons butter (60 mL)
2/3 cup cream (165 mL)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (125 mL)
4 egg yolks
salt and pepper
1&1/2 lbs pasta (700 gr)

Fill your pasta pot with water and put it on to boil. If you use a large skillet for the sauce you can stir the pasta into it at the end.

Cook the bacon in the skillet until the bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and drain most of the bacon grease from the pan. Add the diced onions to the pan and saute until soft and transparent. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan. When you cook the onions in the skillet after the bacon it will deglaze the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and add butter. Stir in the cream and cheese; mix thoroughly. Add the egg yolks and stir. Stir really fast if your pan is too hot - otherwise the egg yolks will cook and lump up the sauce. Add cooked bacon. Taste. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. The sauce will thicken and cook when added to the hot pasta.

Cook your pasta in boiling salted water until al dente - tender but firm in the middle. Drain the pasta and add to the large skillet with the sauce. Mix well and put into a serving dish to bring to the table....or just bring the skillet to the table.

Serves 6 - 10 depending on serving size. Is it one of a few courses or the main event?