Carbonara!!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and a very Happy Halloween!  I know we did, which is why I haven't posted in while!  Between Halloween, tailgates, and dinner parties we have been a busy bunch! We have all probably gained a few pounds and my kids a few cavities, but all worth it for good times with new friends and family!
On to today's recipe. Since we have already thrown caloric count to the wind,  lets talk about a tried and true classic...  Carbonara!  Carbonara is so dang good that even though you know how ridiculously fattening it is you just can't help yourself!  It is also one of the quickest weeknight meals to pull together considering the high likelihood that you already have all the necessary ingredients on hand.  There are a couple of different ways to make Carbonara.  I personally like the purest and simplest way which consists of a total of 6 basic ingredients.  If you see a recipe which calls for heavy cream, avoid it! Adding cream to this already decadent recipe seems not only over the top, but kind of gross if I am being honest.  No offense, Paula Deen.  The recipe I started using a few years a go is based off of Tyler Florence's, with just a few changes, like increasing the amount of garlic and adding an extra egg.  Hope you like!  I don't see how you couldn't!  P.S.  Sorry for the poor lighting on the photo...


Ingredients: 
1 pound spaghetti or linguine (I like linguine)
2 tbls Extra virgin olive oil
4-5 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into small slices
4-6 garlic cloves
3 large eggs
1 cup  parmigiano reggiano, plus more for serving

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs and cheese together stirring well to prevent lumps, then set aside.  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 and reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use for the sauce.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta/bacon and saute for about 3 minutes, until crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for about 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. 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.  Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired.  Enjoy!