Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

• 3 oz. bacon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 12 oz. spaghetti
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Salt to taste
• Handful fresh parsley, optional

Directions

1. Add water to a large pot for the pasta, season it with salt, cover it, and set it over high heat so it can come to a boil. While that happens, chop the bacon into small pieces. Use a large skillet over medium-low heat to cook the bacon until it is browned and crisp. Transfer the bacon out of the pan, then reduce the heat to low. Mince 2 cloves of garlic, stir them into the warm skillet, and sauté for about 1 minute, until the garlic has softened and smells wonderful. Turn off the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and plenty of freshly cracked pepper with a whisk.
3. By now the pot should be boiling, so drop in the pasta, stir well, and keep it boiling until al dente. Save 1 cup of the cloudy pasta water, then pour the pasta into a colander to drain.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of the saved pasta water into the bacon skillet. Stir it around so the browned bits on the pan loosen into the water. Tip the drained pasta, still steaming hot, into the skillet and toss it in the bacon drippings.
5. Pour the egg-Parmesan mixture onto the hot pasta and start stirring or tossing right away. Keep everything moving until a creamy sauce forms. Add the rest of the Parmesan, a little more freshly cracked pepper, and the bacon you held back, then toss again. If the pasta gets too thick or dry, loosen it with another splash of the reserved pasta water.
6. Taste at the end and add salt, Parmesan, or pepper if it needs it. Finish with a pinch or 2 of roughly chopped parsley leaves.