Guest Post - Pasta Carbonara

Hey everyone!  I thought I'd give my beautiful blogging girlfriend a little break and write a guest post that I hope you all enjoy.  For those of you who don't know me - I'm Mike.  Or, as many of Colie's posts indicate, I'm the guy that tests all her delicious recipes, finishes what's left on her plate, and always requires some source of protein with my meals.  Hey, I'm a growing boy, what do you expect??

I've always enjoyed cooking as far back as I can remember.  I learned a lot from my mom and stepmom, Jeanne, as well as a lot of time spent watching the Food Network.  I'm fortunate enough to have found a wonderful girlfriend who loves food even more than I do, and I'm the benefactor of all her culinary exploits.  Let's face it, I'm a pretty lucky guy.  That being said, I still try to cook dinner for Colie whenever I can to show her how much I appreciate all she does for me, and the recipe I'm about to share with you is a frequent go-to for me.

I'm going to share a recipe for Pasta Carbonara; a recipe my mom taught me.  It's a favorite of mine because of its simplicity as well as the simple fact that it's delicious.  Plus, it has bacon in it.  You're welcome, in advance.

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of your favorite Pasta (I used Wegman's Super Pasta Spirals, but I typically go with Fettuccine)
• 4 Eggs
• 1 package of bacon
• 1 1/2 C Grated Italian cheese (Parmesan or Romano)
• Garlic Powder (3-4 Tbs)
• Chopped Parsley (Fresh or dried, 3 Tbs)
• 3/4 Stick of Butter
• Unsweetened Condensed Skim Milk 
• Frozen Peas (1 package, prepared in the microwave as the instructions direct)

First, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.  You'll notice that I have added about 1 Tbs of vegetable oil; it helps keep the pasta from sticking together, and it also helps prevent the water from boiling over.  Be sure to salt your pasta water as well.

While the water is coming to a boil, fry your bacon up until it's nice and crispy.  Be sure to take note of how wonderful your home starts to smell once this step begins.

 

Pat your bacon dry by placing it between paper towels:

(I know what you're all thinking, and the answer is that I actually didn't hire a hand model. It's mine, and it's real.)

Anyway, tear the bacon into bite size pieces and set aside in a bowl:

And when I say "set aside," I really mean that you should put it in the other room to avoid eating it all before you actually use it:

Cook your pasta as the package directions indicate; al dente is the way to go:

Beat your eggs (I used 3; in retrospect, I should have used 4):

Drain your pasta well and place it back in the sauce pot.  

**Make sure that when you do the next steps, the pot is not on the heat**

Pour the beaten eggs into the pasta.  The residual heat from the pasta and the pot will cook the eggs.  However, if the pot is too hot, it will scramble the eggs, and that is not what you want to happen.

Add in your butter.  The residual heat will also melt this in nicely.

Retrieve your bacon from the other room and stir that in:

Add in your parsley...

And your garlic powder...

As well as your grated cheese:

Stir in your peas...

And finally, serve the finished product:

A few things to note:

• I mentioned condensed skim milk in the ingredients but did not use it.  I forgot it, plain and simple.  If you make this recipe, I recommend using it.  Heat it in the microwave first, and add in 1/2 C increments until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
• The garlic, Parmesan cheese and parsley are all subject to your taste.  Add the amounts that make you happy.  We happen to be garlic lovers, so a lot more went in than the recipe indicated.

Writing this blog proved to be very fun, but it's a LOT of work!!  It certainly gave me a new appreciation for how much work goes into these blog entries.  I hope to write more of these guest posts in the future, but in the meantime, I think we all can agree that Colie is the expert, and she's doing a fantastic job.

Cheers!

Mike