Creamy Pasta with Bacon

My kids’ very favorite dinner is Pasta Carbonara, a creamy pasta with bacon.  They have called it “special pasta” for as long as I can remember.  Somehow we tricked them at an early age to into thinking that this very simple pasta dish is actually a fancy delicacy.  It is repeatedly requested for birthday dinners and celebration meals.  And we always make it at least once on a long camping trip.

I used thin sliced Petit Jean bacon and I have recently come into the the joy of cooking bacon in the oven.  Seriously, it makes life so much easier.  I can’t believe I haven’t been doing it for years!

Line a cookie sheet with parchment and bacon, cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F for evenly cooked bacon and no grease splatters on your shirts and aprons.  Yay!

Once your bacon is cooked, you’re ready to make “special pasta.”

Creamy Pasta with Petit Jean Bacon

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup butter (half a stick)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

8 slices thin Petit Jean bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces

1 pound fettuccine

1 tablespoon snipped parsley

Optional: 1 small zucchini and 1 small  yellow squash, sliced and sauteed in 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 3 minutes.  You can also substitute sauteed mushrooms here.

Directions:

Boil water for pasta and cook al dente. (a couple minutes shy of being done)

Drain pasta and then put it back in the pot, return pot to stove on low heat.

Add butter, stir until the butter is melted and pasta is all coated with butter.

Beat egg and cream together in a small bowl or glass with a fork.

Pour cream and egg mixture over the pasta and stir until it thoroughly coats the pasta.

Add bacon, cheese, parsley and squash (if using); toss to mix.

Season with coarsely ground pepper.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Bacon for Creamy Pasta with Bacon was provided by Petit Jean Meats, a local Arkansas company.  I am a member of their Blue Diamond Club, which basically means they send me products which I select and then share with you.  Subscribe to the Chino House via email (box on the top right of web page) so you won’t miss the chance to win a Petit Jean Thanksgiving Ham, coming soon!