I love a quick and easy pasta recipe, especially because I usually have dried pasta on hand. That’s how I landed on this recipe for bacon and spinach carbonara. I’m not really reinventing the wheel here; carbonara usually consists of the same ingredients. I just added some spinachto make it a bit different and to trick myself into thinking it made the dish healthier. This is one of those dishes that is much more than the sum of its parts.  I love that most of the “cooking” is actually done by the heat generated from the pasta, and there’s a good chance you have all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now. The ingredients are simple, so it definitely pays to use the best ones you can, and the results will be more than worth the effort. It is also ready in the amount of time it takes for water to boil, making it perfect for lunch or a weeknight meal. This particular recipe makes enough for two, but it can easily be doubled if you’re so inclined.

  
 Bacon and Spinach Linguine Carbonara

3-4 ounces Linguine or Spaghetti (depends on how hungry you are)

3 slices Bacon

2 Egg Yolks, room temperature

1/4 cup Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Half and Half

2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 cup baby Spinach

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

  
 Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Do not drain.

Meanwhile, cook bacon as desired. I cooked mine in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Crumble and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, cream, half and half, and parmesan cheese until well combined. Season well with black pepper.

Using tongs, transfer pasta from the hot pot directly to the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture. You want the pasta to come directly from the boiling water, since the heat from the pasta is what cooks the eggs in the sauce. It’s okay if a little cooking water clings to the pasta. Mix well, tossing with tongs or a pair of forks. Add in crumbled bacon and spinach and continue to mix until the sauce clings to the pasta and the cheese is melted.  If the sauce seems too thick, add a little of the pasta cooking water to thin it out to your preferred consistency. Serve topped with more cracked black pepper and grated parmesan. Be generous here…it only enhances the deliciousness.