Airborne Ranger Spaghetti alla Carbonara

First of all...please excuse my lack of visitation to many of your blogs. I really do enjoy reading them and try and keep up via Google Reader. But it's been uber hectic.

We are about to be all on our own……….our son has joined the Army and will be off to basic training by March of 2011. He went to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in Jacksonville Florida on Monday and came back Tuesday with his official contract. All went well at MEPS – passing his physical and getting paperwork done, choosing a career path. Very exciting stuff! After basic training, Tristan will be in the Airborne Rangers out of Ft Benning Georgia.



At least that is fairly close to Squirrel Head manor and we can easily make the drive for visits. But that is in the near future and he’s concentrating on working out with his sergeant from now until his ship off date. That means lots of running, lots of pushups, lots of crunches and lots of sore muscles.



Whadaya need to boost your energy for all this physical torture …umm, I meant preparation. You need carbs!

This meal is dedicated to my airborne bound son.

Pasta alla Carbonara, an adaptation from Williams-Sonoma.



Ingredients:

2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt, to taste
1 lb. fresh linguine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-lb. bacon, cut into small cubes
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
Coarsely ground pepper, to taste

Lets cook!

Break the eggs into a warmed large, shallow bowl, add cheese and whisk to blend well. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add linguine and cook to your desired doneness.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the bacon and sauté until just starting to become crisp. Now add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half.

Drain the pasta, leaving a bit of water clinging to it, and add it to the bowl with the eggs and cheese. Toss it quickly !(this will leave a lovely coating of egg on the strand of pasta). Add the bacon and pan juices. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Add the parsley and toss again.
Serve immediately.



Enjoy!