This is a quick dinner for those nights when you don’t know what to make, you are hungry, and you don’t want to fuss.

 My husband had a meeting to attend a couple of evenings ago so I was dining solo.

Since he has been watching his carbs lately, and I have been hungry for pasta, but not wanting to sabotage his efforts, this was my moment.

So I decided Ruth Reichl’s recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara met all my requirements for my dinner.

It is super quick to make.  I had all the ingredients on hand except for the spaghetti, but linguini filled in nicely,  and cleanup time is minimal.   

And Ruth Reichl would never steer you wrong.  Here is her recipe in her own words…

Serves 3

Contrary to the recipe so often used in restaurants, real carbonara contains no cream. The real thing also uses guanciale, cured pork jowl, but to be honest, I like bacon better. I think of this as bacon and eggs with pasta instead of toast. It’s the perfect last minute dinner, and I’ve yet to meet a child who doesn’t like it.

• 1 pound spaghetti
• ¼ to ½ pound thickly sliced good quality bacon (I prefer Nueske’s)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 large eggs
• Black pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese, plus extra for the table

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. When it is boiling, throw the spaghetti in. Most dried spaghetti takes 9 to 10 minutes to cook,and you can make the sauce in that time.

Cut the bacon crosswise into pieces about ½ inch wide. Put them in a skillet and cook for 2 minutes, until fat begins to render. Add the whole cloves of garlic and cook another 5 minutes, until the edges of the bacon just begin to get crisp. Do not overcook; if they get too crisp they won’t meld with the pasta. Meanwhile, break the eggs into the bowl you will serve the pasta in, and beat them with a fork. Add some grindings of pepper.

Remove the garlic from the bacon pan. If it looks like too much to you, discard some, but you’re going to toss the bacon with most of its fat into the pasta. When it is cooked, drain the pasta and immediately throw it into the beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly. The heat of the spaghetti will cook the eggs and turn them into a sauce. Add the bacon with its fat, toss again, add cheese and serve.

A few notes:  I used thickly sliced applewood smoked bacon, and my favorite Pecorino Romano cheese.