Spaghetti Carbonara

I am vowing to try to stick with my weekly meal plan as much as I possibly can. I decided to bring it back to the blog after a VERY long hiatus. I have been falling in to the same meals every week, so I wanted to look in to new recipes or old loves that we have not had in a while. Tonight I kick my weekly mean plan off with a family fan favorite…Spaghetti Carbonara. I think the last time I made this, I added chicken. The hubby seemed a little disappointed that there was no chicken, but the girls and I were happy with just the bacon. Maybe next time I can do a side of chicken for him, but also add more bacon for the rest of us 😉

Ingredients

8 slices of thick cut bacon, cut in to half inch pieces 3 tablespoons of olive oil 4 cloves of crushed garlic 1 pound spaghetti 3 large eggs 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for topping A few springs of parsley, chopped Freshly ground pepper to taste – I used white pepper, because my girls still wary of black pepper. I am happy that they will happily eat parsley.

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the bacon, olive oil, garlic, and 1/4 cup of water in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until the water evaporates and the bacon crisps up, about 10 minutes. Discard the garlic and put the bacon on a plate with paper towels.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, cheese, and pepper until combined. Once the spaghetti is done, reserve a mug of the pasta water. Then drain the pasta.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the pasta and toss with oil and bacon (reserve some bacon for topping the pasta at the end) for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk 1/4 of that pasta water to the egg mixture, then quickly pour over the pasta and toss to gently cook the eggs to make a creamy sauce. Top with the remaining bacon and extra cheese.

ENJOY!

Weekly Meal Plan

Teenagers. Am I right? I have an 8th grader and a 10th grader. Tennis practice and cheer practice. Lots of work stuff happening with the parents 🙂 But we are trying to eat at home more often together to connect. No phones or head phones. We talk and eat. We recently have finished “The Good Place” together as a family, which we watched after the girls cleaned all the dishes 🙂

Sunday- Spaghetti Carbonara

Monday- Leftover Chilaquiles

Tuesday- Chicken Thighs with creamy mushrooms and snap peas

Wednesday- Salmon foil poached with corn and potatoes

Thursday- Leftover night

Friday- Go out!

Chicken, Beans, and Rice Bowl

Easy to throw together! Lettuce, rice, beans (black and kidney), grilled chicken, and lots of cheese!

Not really photogenic after it is mixed up, but very tasty! I topped it with black olives and chips! I might use my leftovers to make a quesadilla or burrito tomorrow for lunch 🙂