The Bratty Bambino Loves Carbonara

Ciao Bloggisti

Do you have the September Blues? I kinda do. After a month of spending time with the family, on holiday and, most importantly, AWAY FROM WORK, it’s always a bit of a downer coming back to real life. And it’s especially hard for us parents. Back-to-school shopping drama, getting the kids used to going to bed before midnight, getting them up and out of the house on time and above all, finding the time to fix them a decent dinner that they’ll actually eat. After a gruelling day at the office and fighting traffic, sometimes I just don’t have the energy to come up with a recipe that will wow my tough crowd. So I fall back on an old standard: Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

It’s the ultimate no-brainer meal – so quick and easy to prepare. And the most important thing is that my bambini are crazy for it. Yes, I know it’s not a low-fat recipe but I found out a way to make it a little lighter without skimping on the taste. You see, most people think you have to add cream to a Carbonara to make it, well, creamy. But that’s not the case. If you add the ingredients in the right order, and especially, at the right time, you can have that wonderfully rich texture without calorie overload. It’s not a light dish by any means, but a little bacon once in a while never hurt anyone.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara Bratty-style

600 gr. spaghetti

150 gr pancetta (bacon), chopped into cubes

2 tbsp olive oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padana cheese

salt and pepper to taste

(serves 6)

Directions:

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water. In the meantime combine the eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Fry the pancetta in the olive oil until just golden.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and place in a serving bowl. Add the egg mixture immediately and mix well. Add the pancetta and oil. Mix well.

Add the cheese and toss well. Ecco! Creamy Carbonara without the cream!!

Do you have any no-brainer recipes you’d like to share? I sure hope so. I don’t know what to cook for dinner tomorrow!!