If you’re a strict conventionalist when it comes to your italian pasta recipes, this recipe will probably offend you. It’s based on a recipe by Nigella Lawson. She uses pancetta, but I went with uncured, applewood smoked bacon. She adds cream, and I think it’s rich enough as it is. Her recipe calls for Parmesan, and I opted for shredded Gruyere. It still tasted pretty fantastic. The white wine replaces the vinegar I’ve seen in other recipes, but isn’t nearly as sharp, so it’s a nice change. She claims this amount feeds 2, but it’s more like a recipe for 4.
1 pound spaghetti
4 slices bacon, cut into ¼” pieces
2 teaspoons oil
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
4 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyere
Freshly ground black pepper
- Boil plenty of salted water for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to instructions.
- Put the oil in the bottom of a frying pan, and cook up the bacon until nearly crisp. Add the wine, and let it boil and reduce until syrupy, stirring often. (Watch out, because the hot bacon fat in the liquid will sizzle and pop quite a bit.) Set this aside.
- In a bowl, mix up the eggs, the cheese, and the pepper.
- Drain the pasta and add it in with the bacon and wine.
- Add the egg mixture, and toss to coat all the strands and cook the eggs.
- Serve immediately.
