Pasta Carbonara

I’ve made a different version of this dish before, but with the leftover Christmas breakfast bacon, my sister and I were craving a carbonara sauce. I’ve been bunking over at my sisters the last month which has made for a few fun cooking nights! Of course, she broke out her trusted Lidia Bastianich to make this dish. With the wine poured, a 5 year old wanting to help, and a 9 month old crashing into the cabinets in her walker, we got to cooking. “Hands Up!”, my nine month old nieces favorite, was blasting, but the sounds of the rendering bacon still broke through. Delicious and fun night.

Linguine with Bacon and Onions

Recipe by Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients

• 6 ounces slab bacon, in one piece
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced half inch thick (about 3 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups hot chicken broth
• 1 pound linguini
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Course ground black pepper

Directions

Dice the bacon and begin to render in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, begin to bring a large pasta pot of water to boil and start to slice the onions.

Once the bacon is rendered, add the oil and onions. We also added 2 cloves of minced garlic here. Cool until the onions are wilted but still have a crunch, about 4-5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to a lively simmer. You should reduce the sauce by half.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta to al dente. Reserve a cup of the cooking liquid for later.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add to the sauce and toss. If more liquid is needed, add in the pasta water.

Remove from the heat, and add one egg yolk at a time to the pasta, tossing well after each. Check for seasoning of salt. Add the cheese and pepper and give a final toss. Serve in warmed bowls.

Sunday funday winter comfort. Enjoy!