Pasta Carbonara

Chop the bacon into small pieces and sauté until cooked but not crispy. About 4-5 minutes on slightly under medium heat. 

Cook pasta until al dente, still firm but not hard.  Do this by reducing the suggested cooking time by 2-3 minutes for dried pasta.  There is always a variable when cooking pasta, so it's best to test it.  

Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add the bacon and the fat to the pan. 

Crack eggs into pasta and toss quickly—season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately. 

Use farm eggs and bacon if possible.  Do not be afraid to add the bacon fat. This adds extra flavor to the pasta and is satiating.   

This a great alternative to boxed macaroni and cheese.  Kids love it, and it will expand their palate. 

Serve with a Caesar Salad and Fruit Soup for an easy, delicious, and kid-approved meal!

Look for fresh pasta at your grocery or an Italian specialty store.  It will be lighter and easier to digest, and the cooking time is only 2-3 minutes.  Fresh pasta can also be frozen, so you have it on hand when needed. 

I like to cook the bacon while the pasta is cooking, then mix it all when the pasta is done.  My husband Pierre likes to cook the pasta and then leave it in the colander and cook the bacon in the pasta pot, so he doesn't have two pans to clean.  

To try Pierre's method, cook and strain the pasta and let it rest in the colander.  Cook the diced bacon in the pot that you used to cook the pasta.  Cook the bacon on medium-high for 3-4 minutes, add the pasta, and toss, letting the pasta absorb the pan's heat so the eggs don't hit a very hot pan, and cook.