
I’ve gone all Italian of late. Not in the belligerent, brooding, erratic-driving kind of way (that’s me normally), rather in my love of the wines and cuisine of my favourite holiday destination. There’s something in the food that reflects the sunshine, the rolling hills and terraces, the simmering passion of the natives. And the wine, by evolution, is in perfect harmony with the rich, full-flavoured dishes, their fresh-off-the-vine ingredients and lashings of olive oil.
So following on from last week’s desperately simple Spaghetti Bolognese, here’s another classic made easy, and without the need to have an olive grove in your back garden.
Go with either of the white equivalents of the Dievole and Farnese recommended with the Bolognese – the dryness and acidity of the Dievolino Malvasia and the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo are perfect for the creamy starchiness of the pasta and sauce.
For 2:
- ¼ lb dried tagliatelle (or roughly double of the fresh stuff)
- 4 oz smoked bacon, chopped
- 4 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
And the cooking:
- Start cooking the tagliatelle, adding a bit of salt to the water.
- Lightly fry the bacon, mushrooms and garlic in a decent glug of olive oil.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add seasoning and the grated Parmesan.
- Drain pasta and quickly mix in bacon and mushrooms followed by beaten egg mix. The egg will cook in the hot pasta and be slightly granular.
- Sprinkle over lots of Parmesan and serve immediately.
Could it be any easier?
2 Comments
Can I just say how happy I am that this recipe doesn’t contain any cream? I don’t know how that got started, but it’s a travesty. I would use more Parmesan, say 1/3 cup, and also toss in a few tbsp of grated Pecorino Romano, but I like a lot of cheese. Also, for more of a garlic hit, use a garlic press and add directly to the eggs and cheese, don’t bother frying it. One of my favorite pasta dishes, definitely.
Thanks Bill. Having just arrived back from Sardinia in the early hours of this morning, I was reminded once again over the weekend of the secret of genuine Italian cuisine – keeping it simple.
The Pecorino’s a great addition for some extra flavour, and the raw garlic is definitely another tip on keeping it real, if not to everyone’s taste!