Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best and ever since I discovered a pasta with a 65% lower glycemic index (‘Dreamfields – healthy carb living’), that manages to taste just as good as regular pasta, I’ve been making it more frequently.

I could eat pasta 365 days of the year with a different sauce daily but I always come back to a handful of favorites. There are many versions of Carbonara out there and this is my favorite; a perfect supper for busy people!

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

14 oz (375g) packet of spaghetti

4-5 oz (114-140g) of hickory smoked bacon (preferably nitrate-free and organic) – chopped

1 tablespoon of butter

1 large garlic clove, peeled and flattened

½ glass of dry white wine

4 egg yolks

½ cup (8 tablespoons) of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

¼ (59ml) cup of cream

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground nutmeg

Extra grated parmigiano reggiano cheese to serve

Action:

Combine the cream, egg yolks, grated parmesan, black pepper and a grind of nutmeg in a bowl. Allow to reach room temp.

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the spaghetti.

In a sauté pan that’s large enough to contain the pasta later, cook the chopped bacon and garlic in the butter over a low heat until the bacon starts to get a bit crispy. Pour over the white wine and let it bubble away so that after a few minutes all you have left is a small amount of syrupy liquid. Take the pan off the heat; discard the garlic and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the instructions and to ensure its ‘al dente’, start checking it 2 minutes before end of the suggested cooking time.

As soon as the pasta is cooked, remove approximately 1/4 cup of the cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta very quickly (don’t over-drain it) and immediately tip it into the sauté pan with the bacon – turn the heat back on, tossing everything well. Gently warm it through.

Turn off the heat once more and add the egg, cream and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. If needed, you can use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce slightly. The heat of the pasta in the pan will cook the egg yolks.

You should have a fragrant, glossy sauce that’s neither too heavy nor overwhelming.

Grind over some more black pepper and serve immediately with some extra grated cheese passed around…perhaps a sprinkle of chopped parsley and for those who like a kick with everything, some dried chili flakes.