Easy carbonara

[AnnieD]

Well, lets face it ALL of my recipes are going to be EASY - or I wouldn't do them

For two people

160 - 200gr (dried weight) spaghetti
+/- 100gr lardons
Salt & pepper
Grated parmesan
Olive oil
1 egg per person


> Beat the eggs with the parmesan

> Heat the oil in a frying pan & cook the chopped bacon with the salt & pepper

> Cook the spaghetti al dente

> When the spag is cooked, strain and add to the frying pan (ensure the frying pan is very hot) with the lardons. Stir until the spag is very lightly brown in colour

> Remove from the heat & mix in the beaten eggs & parmesan

> Serve & enjoy

[stavros]

Thanks, AnnieD. That's virtually what I do for a fast solution to feeding folk when unexpected events impose miracles on the poor sod who has to do the cooking.
I had another recipe, from an Italian chef, Giuseppe. As chef, he opened the first pizzeria in Bournemouth, "La Lupa", back in the late 60s, after working as chef in another classic-style Italian restaurant. He used more or less Annie's recipe for the punters, but if he was cooking for family & friends, he had a de-luxe version.
Use tagliatelli instead of spaghetti
Mix pecorini & parmiggiano cheese, reserving a bit of parmesan for sprinkling at point of serving.
Use diced 'pancetta' instead of lardons/bacon bits.
Lightly crush two cloves of garlic to go in the butter for browning the pancetta, and take the cloves out and discard once pancetta lightly browned.
When in the serving dish, mix in a soup-spoon of cream, grind some black pepper on top, and sprinkle on the remaining parmesan.

(He came from near Bologna, but you'll have to wait for the bolognaise sauce, I do it by eye, and I expect you'll all want measured quantities, so next time I make a batch...)