Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Making simple dishes for hungry kids (and parents!) taste so good!

Served with fresh salad and loads of left overs to fill our lunch boxes!

​Its a comforting, wholesome family keeper! 

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Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Serves: 4 to 6 servings



What You Need:

• 450g dry whole-wheat spaghetti (I personally used wholemeal spelt)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 100g quality pancetta or free range bacon cooked, cubed or sliced into small strips
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Fresh tomatoes and greens of choice to serve

What to Do:

1. Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm. Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.
4. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the remaining juice. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.)
5. Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency.
6. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, tomatoes and fresh greens. Pass more cheese around the table.

Adapted from food network 


Enjoy!