Pasta Carbonara

I came across this pasta dish on another blog a few weeks ago and have been dying for an excuse to make it. Dinner at a friend's house provided the perfect opportunity. This dish, while extremely bad for you, is sooo good. I made a few tweaks to the original recipe and I think you'll really enjoy it. It's also really good reheated and travels well. The picture above is after the pasta traveled for about 30 minutes and then sat out for about 15 so the picture doesn't do justice to how good it was but use your imagination. :) We served it with salad, garlic bread, and extra Parmesan cheese. Hint: If your pasta seems to "liquidly" after the final step, then let it sit for a few minutes. The pasta will continue to soak up the juices.

SERVINGS: 6

CATEGORY: Entree

METHOD: Stovetop

TIME: 45 min.

INGREDIENTS:
1lb linguine pasta
4 eggs
1 pound bacon or pancetta (sliced into 1" pieces)
2 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese (save 1/2 cup for garnishing)
8-12 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
1 large onion (diced)
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 stick of butter
1 handful of parsley
1-2 tablespoons black pepper
1 pound of chicken (diced)

DIRECTIONS:
Drizzle a pan with oil (your choice) and heat to medium-high heat. Add diced chicken and brown on both sides (about 3-4 mins. on each side). Once chicken is cooked, remove to a dish and cover lightly. Add bacon to the hot pan and cook until crisp. Remove from pan and place on a towel to drain excess grease. Meanwhile, boil the water for the linguine. When it comes to a boil, cook until al-dente. Continuing on, add diced onions to the hot pan and cook 3-5 mins (until translucent). Add chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Be careful to not burn the garlic. Remove mixture from the pan and set aside. Drain the remaining grease from the pan. Add the chicken stock to the pan and whisk to remove the "brown spots" from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken, bacon, and onions back to the pan. Simmer over medium heat.

In a large bowl (large enough to toss the pasta in) add the four eggs, 2 cups of Parmesan cheese, and a handful of chopped parsley (leaving a little for garnish). Whisk together the mixture. When the pasta is done, drain it and immediately add it to the bowl. Cover the pasta with the chicken stock mixture and add the 1/2 stick of butter. Toss everything together. Tongs work the best. Make sure the egg mixture is worked through evenly (that is what is going to thicken the pasta!). Garnish with extra Parmesan and parsley.