April 27, 2024

Pasta Carbonara

Healthy Fact of the Day

While rich and indulgent, this pasta carbonara dish incorporates eggs, which are an excellent source of protein, as well as Parmesan cheese, which provides calcium.

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti or linguine
4 slices bacon, diced
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
In a large skillet, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the rendered bacon fat behind.
In the same skillet with the bacon fat, sauté the chopped shallot for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and chopped parsley. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Drain the cooked pasta and immediately add it to the skillet with the shallot. Toss to combine and remove the skillet from the heat.
Pour the egg mixture over the hot pasta and toss continuously for 2-3 minutes, allowing the residual heat to cook and thicken the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water.
Once the sauce has thickened and coated the pasta, stir in the crispy bacon.
Serve the pasta carbonara immediately, garnished with additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.