
Prep your ingredients: Put your pasta water on to boil and when it boils, toss in a goodly quantity of coarse salt before adding your spaghetti. This dish comes together so quickly and needs to be eaten immediately. So, if you're having a salad, or other veg be sure it's prepared and ready to go before you start working on your pasta dish. Dice your pancetta (or bacon). I cheat and buy mine pre-diced. Put your eggs in a bowl and beat them up. Grate a lot of cheese. Smash your garlic clove.
A serving of pasta is considered to be about 2 oz. per person. I then use about one egg per two servings.
With regard to bacon, I probably use about 2 oz per person as well.
With regard to garlic, I'm not sure the Italians use it in this recipe, but I like to flavor my oil with a little garlic.
With regard to cheese......well, I use.......a lot :)
Is your pasta water boiling? Is your spaghetti almost al dente? Let's get started.....
Remember that secret I mentioned above? Here it comes.....
TAKE YOUR PAN OFF THE HEAT BEFORE ADDING IN YOUR BEATEN EGGS!
Yes, remove your pan from the burner, and quickly pour in your beaten eggs. Again using your tongs, toss everything about. Many people think carbonara is so creamy and lovely due to the addition of half and half or cream. This is simply not true. It's so creamy due to beaten eggs combining with the melted cheese and bacon fat. But if you add the eggs while the pan is on the heat, they immediately begin to scramble and your "sauce" gets all lumpy, curdled, and unappetizing looking.

Tonight we had a red wine called Tributary from Russell Creek winery in the Columbia Valley. Delicious!
Buon Appetito!