Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Place a large, covered pot of lightly salted water over high heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Slice the bacon into strips about a quarter-inch wide.

Lightly crush each clove of garlic by laying the blade of a chef’s knife over the clove and striking it gently with the heel of your palm. Peel the garlic and discard the skins.

In a small pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil until golden. Discard the garlic.

Add the bacon to the pan and cook until almost done. You can drain off some of the fat, but not too much.

Add the wine and cook off the alcohol for a minute or two. Turn the heat off and cover.

Add the spaghetti to the pot and set a timer for the time indicated on the package, usually about 10-12 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add the cheese, some black pepper, and a bit of parsley, and mix until smooth.

A minute or two before the pasta is done, reheat the bacon. It should just begin to sizzle again while you’re draining the pasta.

Add the drained pasta to the bowl and toss quickly and thoroughly.

Add the bacon mixture to the bowl, and again toss thoroughly. The heat from the pasta and bacon should be sufficient to cook the eggs in the time it takes to mix everything together.