Bridget’s Deconstructed Carbonara

Tonight I was going to have leftover Pork Carnita Tacos, but as I started foraging through our fridge, I noticed some delicious turkey bacon and immediately I thought, BLT.

A few days ago, I bought a fresh loaf of Dakota Wheat. I also have some fragrantly plump tomatoes bathing in the evening sun on my window sill, and some baby arugula in the crisper that would star as the “L” in my BLT tonight.

In our family, we almost always cook eggs in the greasy deliciousness left by recently fried bacon. Fried eggs made Bridget think of a recipe we saw in The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider, the  latest edition to our cookbook library. On page 135, there’s a recipe for Elemental Carbonara (Pasta with a Fried Egg and Parmigiano).

Bridget cooked some whole-wheat spaghetti, and once it was just about done (al dente), she tossed it with 2 slices of crumbled bacon, torn basil leaves (about 3), fresh grated Parmesan, S&P and topped it with 2 fried eggs. The yellows of the eggs were still runny, so when she broke them over the pasta they combined with the cheese to make a soft, delicious sauce. This is a great dish.

You could call it Pasta with a fried egg on it, but fancy it up, serve it to company and call it Deconstructed Carbonara. Thanks, B!