Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Is it sexist of me to say that this is a manly dish?

Stay with me here. You've got your carbohydrate base. Check. Your creamy, delicious sauce. Your cheese. Your garlic.

Your bacon. Check.

Could there be a manlier dish?

I'm not saying ladies won't like it. I am in fact a huge fan of carbs, cream, bacon, etc. And I luurrrved this pasta, and slurped it down with greatest pleasure. And in these enlightened times women can do whatever they like, am I right? So make this dish, ladies. Make it to show them.

But if you DO have a husband, partner or otherwise male cohabitant you wish to feed (if only occasionally), you really should feed him this dish. Not only will he love it, but it will guarantee you his love forever (I like, totally promise).

Also it's really easy - did I tell you that? There are seven ingredients, all extremely common in your average refrigerator. I love recipes like that. I think you will too.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara (adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe on the Food Network)

1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 strips bacon, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (fresh is best but powdered works in a pinch)
black pepper
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm. Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium. Add the bacon and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.

Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen). Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Top with more parmesan if you wish.