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Bacon and Egg Pasta

A budget twist on carbonara using cheap bacon instead of pancetta. Eggs, cheese and bacon create a silky sauce that coats every strand of pasta for under 65p a portion.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 300g spaghetti
  • 6 rashers value smoked bacon, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 50g parmesan or hard cheese, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and plenty of black pepper

Method
 

  1. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Before draining, save a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped bacon and fry for 5-6 minutes until crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, most of the grated cheese and plenty of black pepper.
  4. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the bacon pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
  5. Pour the egg mixture over the hot pasta and toss everything together quickly. The residual heat will cook the eggs into a silky sauce - add splashes of the reserved pasta water until you get a glossy, coating consistency.
  6. Serve immediately with the remaining cheese and more black pepper on top.