Rigatoni Carbonara

Date: 2009.08.28 | Category: Cooking | Tags: easy,garlic,pasta

I sometimes wonder if there is a little Italian in me as I love their food so much.  I think I must be half Italian and half Japanese based on my favorite foods!  There are many ways to make pasta.  Some days I think if we ate a different pasta dish every day we could get through the year easily with no repeats.  Heck, I bet two!

This recipe is simple, has a nice flavor and looks pretty in the bowl.  Like all pasta dishes, I believe it tastes better the next day.  Let it marinate!

Ingredients:

12 oz. rigatoni
salt
2 c. petite peas
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. crumbled bacon (try turkey or veggie bacon strips)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
4 eggs, beaten
1 c. shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese, blended

In a large pot, cook the pasta in salted water according to your personal tastes.  Before draining, set aside 1 c. of the cooking water.  Place the peas in a a large colander.  Drain the pasta over the peas.  Set both aside.

Return the pot to medium heat.  Add the oil, bacon and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally until garlic is golden.  Add the pasta and peas.  Toss to coat.  Add 1/2 c. of the reserved cooking water to the eggs in a bowl.  Increase the heat of the pot and add the eggs to the pot while stirring the pasta constantly.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs thicken and coat the pasta.   Take the pot off the heat if eggs start to curdle.  Watch your heat!  Add the cheese and stir to mix.  Add a few tablespoons of cooking water to thin the sauce, if needed.

The real Italians out there will surely write to me about the authenticity of this recipe.  I am sure it’s an Americanized pasta dish.  Anyway, I love it and it comes from a cookbook that has a ton of other quick and easy recipes.  Surely, I will share more as we march along this journey together.  Let’s all walk to the kitchen together and whip up a fabulous meal for our loved ones, shall we?

xo–me