"Breakfast Pasta"

Once when my daughter was little, she watched me make this pasta dish.  When she saw the ingredients going in she stated, "This is a breakfast pasta!"  I knew what she meant.  Bacon, eggs, cheese ~ these were three pillars of her favorite weekend breakfast plate, only toast being omitted.  We called it breakfast pasta for a while, but now that she's older we call it by the correct name ~ Spaghetti alla Carbonara, or pasta carbonara.

First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and begin to cook 1/2 lb. of your favorite spaghetti.  Meanwhile, slice 2 well-endowed garlic cloves thinly.  I prefer to slice garlic for some dishes, mainly because it's a milder flavor than minced or crushed, but secondarily because it's pretty.  :)

Crisp 1/4 lb. bacon that's been sliced thinly.  Drain, pour off the fat & add in a splash of olive oil.  Cook the garlic gently along with 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.  These are optional if you are cooking for whiny palates, or you can add them in and just ignore the whining like I do.  DON'T brown the garlic.  It will be bitter, and with such a simple dish, you will notice.  In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1 Tbl. cream or milk, a couple handfuls of fresh Parmesan, and SnP.  Save some Parmesan for the finished dish.

When your pasta is cooked & drained (Please, please save a little hot pasta water in case your sauce is too dry.  If it isn't, toss the water, but it's better to be safe than you-know-what) add the hot pasta into the pan you cooked your garlic in & add the bacon bits in as well.  Toss the pasta well to coat with the pan drippings, then add in your egg mixture, tossing continuously until well mixed.  If your sauce seems dry or sticky instead of creamy, begin to add in some of your reserved pasta water until the sauce looks creamy.  Taste for SnP, then top each dish with more cheese.  Because...who cares at this point?  If you're the kind of person who eats breakfast pasta, you already know that life is too short.  :)