Quick and Dirty: Pasta Carbonara for One

If I were the kind of person who got hang overs pasta carbonara would be my go to recovery food.  it's the perfect combination of everything great about a bowl of pasta and breakfast.  Yep, it's like bacon and eggs and pasta but not weird... and amazing.  It only takes a few ingredients and whips up in the time it takes to boil your pasta. 

Today I've got a quick and dirty "recipe" for one.  There aren't many recipes for one serving, which I find strange since it is the perfect food to eat in secret.  Recipe isn't really the right word either. There is a method involved though, but it's not hard at all to master.  

Put a big pot of water on to boil. Once its boiling add 3 to 4 oz of spaghetti, I used thin spaghetti.  

Chop up about 4 pieces of bacon into lardons (just really small pieces) and throw them into a medium skillet to get really crisp.  If they start to crisp up before your pasta is done just lower your temp to medium low to low.  Once the bacon is done you can drain a little of the fat but the fat is part of the sauce so feel free to leave it all in, and definitely don't drain it all, and you can add a little back if you feel the need. 

Slice up a clove or two of garlic and set it aside until your bacon is just about crisp and you've lowered your heat to medium low.  You don't want it to burn, it's just adding flavor to your fat.  If you plan to pour out any fat do it BEFORE you add your garlic.  

Whisk up one egg with about a 1/4 cup of Parmesan.  You don't have to use freshly grated, but I IMPLORE you to use freshly grated.  

Once your pasta is al dente scoop out about a cup of water and set it aside before draining your pasta. Throw the pasta into your pan with the bacon and garlic.  Make sure you get the pasta good and coated with all that yummy bacon fat then remove it from the heat.  

Here is the only place it can get at all tricky.  Once you've taken the pasta off the heat but it's still piping hot dump your egg and parm mixture into your pasta and stir like a madman.  The idea is to use the heat from the pasta to cook but NOT scramble the eggs.  After you get it mixed in you can use your reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce, only a tablespoon or so at a time until it's exactly how you want it, yellow and creamy.  

Grate more parm on top, add salt to taste, and a ton of freshly cracked pepper.  Yes, a ton of freshly cracked pepper, it's crucial.  

Now, what are you doing still sitting here, go make some.