Spaghetti Carbonara

This week I'm trying new recipes from a book I got for Christmas. The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner. This is the second recipe I tried. I tried some chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes yesterday. I didn't change much there. On this one I changed quite a bit, so I figure I'd better write it down now before I forget what I did. It was originally for 2, so I quadrupled it to use 1 lb. of spaghetti. I also used less yokes, more meat, less water..... I'm writing it how I made it.



Ingredients

• 1 lb. spaghetti noodles
• 4 eggs plus 2 yolks
• 1/2 lb. pancetta (you can substitute bacon if you want to - the original recipe called for it to be diced, but we diced it after we cooked it. It probably would have been easier to dice beforehand.)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.
3. Cook the pancetta in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until it is cooked through, not crisp. Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan and add the olive oil. Heat. (I waited to start this until my noodles were almost ready so I could move right on to the next step when I was through) Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Return the bacon to the pan.
4. When the spaghetti is cooked, lift it out of the water with tongs and put it in the saucepan with the bacon. (save the water) Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour 2 cups of the pasta water over the spaghetti and use tongs to turn the spaghetti over several times. Add teh beaten eggs and continue stirring quickly to cook the egg.
5. When the water is almost evaporated, add the salt, black pepper, and cheese. Continue to stir until well mixed. Remove when cheese is melted.