easy on the sauce part two...the carbonara

So, simply because Italian food is just SO. UNBELIEVABLY. GOOD, I thought that I would include another favourite recipe. Major emphasis on simplicity here, which is one of the main reasons why I like it so much.... 

Carbonara is one of the first pasta dishes I attempted. Unlike many carbonaras in the UK, this is not drowned in think gloopy sauce (you know my position on too much sauce..). Simple ingredients, simple instructions, yet possibly some mess. But like I've said before, you aren't really cooking unless you spill something somewhere. Here's what you need to make it (once again, real live Italian person has been consulted):

So, fry the pancetta in some olive oil, and boil your salted water for the pasta. I've written fresh spaghetti because it's just so much better. Be careful with cooking time- you don't want a mushy mouthful of overcooked spaghetti. Ick. Mix your egg, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl. I have written 1 egg and 20g of parmesan but this is just an average for two people. Vary the quantities as you wish. To be honest, I rarely measure stuff. I just throw in what feels right... it's all about the learning curve! When the pasta is cooked and drained, add it, along with your mixture, to the pancetta (turn off the heat at this point) and mix together. The egg will cook slightly from the heat of the ingredients, but it shouldn't scramble. Leave the heat on a little if you aren't too fond of raw egg but don't cook it so much that it scrambles.

And there you have it. Actual carbonara. Easy, and minus the gloopy sauce. I've cooked this a few times for the girls and they seem to like it (and believe me, they can be hard to please, especially that Irish one....)