Spaghetti Carbonara for four (less than 10 EUR)
When my young twenty-something cousins came over, they were amazed at how easy it was to make this simple dish. Maybe it's the fear of cooking (or laziness) that hinders most people, but I always think that with the right utensils and recipes, anyone could be Jamie or Nigella!
The first thing to do is the shopping. I usually get loads of stuff from Lidl (not everything though). You can find all the ingredients there and they are value for money.
What you need:
4 eggs
200 ml whipping cream (Schlagsahne)
250g bacon bits (Katenschinken)
50g grated parmesan cheese (comes in a 100g pack - use the other half for garnishing later)
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Freshly ground pepper (35g bottle with grinder here is only EUR0,99!)
½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
400g spaghetti
1 tablespoon butter for frying
1 big frying pan
1 big pot
Method:
1. Put a huge pot of water on to boil and cook pasta according to packet instructions.
2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, fry the bacon bits in a big pan with the butter on low heat until they become golden brown. You do not want them burnt and too crunchy.
3. During this time, beat the eggs in a bowl with the cream, cheese, salt, and garlic powder and set aside.
4. As soon as the pasta is done (remember to not overcook it; you want it al dente), drain, and put into the pan with the bacon bits. Increase the heat to high for one minute and then pour cream-egg mixture into the pasta. Immediately take off the heat and mix well.
5. Serve with freshly ground pepper and the remaining cheese.
Buon Appetito!
