Bacon and Eggs

I have not cooked the entire week. Between 'too-tired-must-order-pizza' nights and nights alone while the boyfriend stuffs his face with company dinners, I have definitely not eaten well this week. As a result, oddly enough, I haven't felt all that inspired to cook anything either. On nights like these I resort to the simplest and quickest meals I can find. I don't want to spend an hour in the kitchen and I don't want to spend an hour cleaning up afterward either.

Enter Jamie Oliver.

Oh, you dear towheaded chef of chefs. Isn't it lovely how your cookbooks are so thoughtfully put together for situations as these. Not to mention, I can be confident that throwing something of yours together will turn out to be tasty.


This carbonara hits the spot. Jamie's recipe was for 4 so I cut it in half as best I could. Sometimes his measures are simply a handful of this, a handful of that. I doubt my hands are as large as his but I made due.

Carbonara with Bacon and Peas
adapted from Jamie's Dinners

1/2 lb farfalle (that's bowtie!)
half a package of bacon (about 6-7 slices, I used Maverick's bacon because it is nitrite-free)
1 egg
3 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
3/4 C frozen peas
1/4-1/2 C of grated Parmesan, Romano, Asiago (whatever you have around)
3-4 sprigs of mint, leaves torn
salt and pepper to taste

First bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. While you're waiting on that cook the bacon until it is nice and crispy. Drain and set it aside to cool before you dice it into pieces. Beat the egg, then add the cream and whisk a little more until it comes together; set aside. Cook the pasta. When the pasta is a minute or two from being aldente, add the peas to the water. It is very important not to overcook the peas so watch the pot carefully. Drain the contents of the pot into a colander and reserve a tbsp or two of water in the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to the warm (but turned off) burner. Add the egg mixture and stir. (note: don't worry, the heat from the pasta will cook the egg enough so you won't get salmonella or whatever else is going around these days...) Add the chopped bacon, mint, and cheese and stir until it all comes together. The egg, cream, and cheese will create a silky sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and then eat it.