Linda Hardwick | Houston County EC

Carbonara is the ultimate comfort food and easier than you might think. This version brings in heat with crushed red chile flakes, so add according to your tastes.

1 pound spaghetti or other pasta
4–6 slices bacon, chopped
5–6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta, cooking according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta, setting aside to keep warm.

2. While the pasta cooks, in a large frying pan over medium heat cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.

3. To the same pan, add garlic and red chile flakes and sauté for 1 minute, then add white wine, scraping up any stuck bits on the bottom of the pan.

4. Whisk together eggs and Parmesan, then add pasta, egg mixture, bacon and reserved pasta water to the frying pan, tossing with tongs to mix together and create a creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with parsley.

Serves 6.