Sunday, November 7, 2010

Spaghetti Carbonara

Hey guys. I know this is a little different from what may be expected here (although I haven't quite established what I'm all about yet), but I've decided to post one of my favourite simple recipes up here. I'm sure a lot of you already know how to make plain spaghetti with tomato sauce (or butter, depending on your preference), but have you tried to spice it up just a little? Well, here it is:

(F.Y.I.: I do this recipe by memory so exact measurements aren't really required.)

You will need:
- Large pot
- Small bowl
- Plate or bowl (to eat from...you may also use this for the bacon, but if you don't then you'll need another plate)
- Cutlery (you know, to eat with)
- Strainer
- Whisk or fork
- Spatula or tongs
- Spaghetti (make a circle with your index finger and your thumb, where your thumbnail lines up with the knuckle closest to your fingernail...this is about one serving)
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Bacon (as much or as little as you want, really)
- 1 or 2 eggs (this can also be enough for two people)
- Cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Various spices (I prefer to use basil, but really whatever suits your needs)

1. First you're gonna want to take a large pot, fill it with water, and get it boiling. I also recommend that you pour a little bit of oil into the water to add flavour to the spaghetti. Also, it smells awesome.
2. While you are waiting for the water to boil, take the small bowl and crack the one or two eggs into it. Whisk the eggs and add a bit of cream. Not too much cream is necessary...there should still be more egg than cream in the mixture. Add in your salt, pepper, and various spices. Set this bowl aside for later. Also, put your strainer in the sink.
3. We are now going to deal with the bacon. I'm usually just lazy and microwave it, which isn't that hard. (Note: only microwave the bacon if it is pre-cooked. D: ) So basically, cut the bacon pieces into little squares before you microwave it (as it will be hot after and you don't want to burn your fingers or let it cool down while you waste time cutting it up). So once the bacon is cut up, just leave it on a plate for now. Don't microwave it yet, because it only takes about 30 seconds and again we don't want it to get cold while the spaghetti is cooking.
4. Put the spaghetti in the pot. The pasta should probably take about ten minutes to cook. Every so often, take a spatula or tongs or something and grab a piece. If it falls apart easily when you pinch it, it's probably done. If it still feels hard or doesn't come apart right away, it's gonna need more time. Right before you intend on taking your pasta out, nuke your bacon for about 30 seconds.
5. Once your pasta is ready, take the pot and SLOWLY and CAREFULLY pour the water into the strainer which is in the sink. Be very careful to keep your face out of the steam. Now this part needs to happen FAST. Your sauce contains raw eggs, and you probably noticed that we didn't cook them. We are relying on the heat of the spaghetti to cook them and make them safe to eat. So as soon as your spaghetti is in the strainer, transfer it to a plate or bowl and put the egg mix on it IMMEDIATELY. Mix it and toss it to make sure it all gets heated up. Then add your bacon and continue tossing it. Finally, you can add some parmesan cheese on top if you want.
6. CONGRATULATIONS, you have made spaghetti carbonara. Enjoy!!! :D

YUMMMMMMMMMMMM. :)

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