Spaghetti Carbonara

I know this rendition of spaghetti carbonara was the best I'd ever made when SP said it was good. That's usually not his highest compliment but in this case it meant a lot. See, SP really isn't a fan of the dish. It's a shame because carbonara is one of my all-time favorites, but despite the bacon factor he just isn't that enamored of the dish.


My friend Melissa recently wrote an excellent post about spaghetti carbonara which gave me a craving for it. I almost always have the necessary ingredients on hand so I decided to make it for dinner on Wednesday. I didn't do anything different this time since I can make this recipe in my sleep, but something about it really hit the spot for SP, which made me happy since I feel guilty making something I know he has mixed feelings about.

Spaghetti Carbonara
Modified from Nigella Lawson

1 pound spaghetti
1lb bacon (or as much as you like), chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.

In another large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the bacon until crispy but not crunchy. Add the onions and cook until softened and starting to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Pour over the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before end of the recommended cooking time.

When the pasta is done, remove approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. Put the pan with the bacon back on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy sauce. Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Thin with pasta water, if needed. Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg to serve.