Breakfast Pasta Carbonara

1. Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente. In this case you want the water to be starchy, so you don’t need gallons of water to start with.
2. Meanwhile cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Add some crushed garlic toward the end, if you’re using it.
3. Beat eggs in a bowl and add the cheese and pepper.
4. Add hot pasta to the skillet and toss rapidly while slowly adding the egg mixture, using a little reserved pasta water as necessary to create a silky sauce. 

In traditional carbonara the aim is to cook the eggs into a creamy sauce, but for breakfast carbonara you can afford to let then ‘scramble’ a bit, no shame there.

you also ask…

• are the eggs in carbonara raw?

The eggs in this dish get ‘cooked’ from the heat of the water, the pasta, and the pan, even when it is off the direct heat. If you’re unsure you can put the pan back on the heat while you toss. This may slightly scramble the eggs, but the dish will still be delicious. You can also use pasteurized eggs for peace of mind. Note: don’t confuse pasteurized eggs for pasture raised eggs! Pasteurized eggs have simply been heat treated to destroy harmful bacteria, but otherwise function like normal raw eggs. Look for them next to the regular eggs in your supermarket.

• what’s the best cheese for carbonara?

Pecorino Romano, an Italian sheep’s milk cheese, is traditional, but other aged Italian cheeses are fine. I like to grate the cheese (not shred) so it will melt in quickly.

• does carbonara have cream in it?

It’s hard to believe that such a creamy pasta contains no cream. The ‘creaminess’ comes from the eggs and starchy pasta water that emulsify into a glossy sauce as they are tossed briskly with the hot pasta. No need for cream.

I adore my Lodge cast iron skillet and it’s the perfect tool for this job. The thick cast iron hold the heat well while you create that special sauce. You can serve straight from the skillet for a rustic presentation.