Oh, okay, i'm going to bite...while all of the above sound simply perfect, to me, carbonara is the dish that gives the best
ratio of taste:effort imaginable. So i cook it when i've worked late at
the office and need something awesome in less than 15 minutes. And it's still good enough to serve at a
dinner party if need be...
Before i begin, i can't stress enough the importance of using good quality pasta. I'm not talking paying through the nose for supermarket
'fresh' pasta, which tastes like
foam rubber - go to your nearest
delicatessen and buy some proper Italian dried pasta - expect to pay a quid per packet, which won't break the bank, but is at least double the price of normal supermarket pasta. You'll notice the difference.
Put your pasta in to boil - it should take about 11 or 12 minutes. As soon as it's in, take three rashers of
smoked back bacon (or six of
streaky) per person (
pancetta is obviously better but it's difficult to get hold of the proper stuff over here), and dice them.
Fry your bacon off in a tiny bit of
olive oil, crisping it nicely. Meanwhile, whip up two eggs per person and add a good couple of tablespoons of
creme fraiche per person. Whisk together.
Crush a clove or two of
garlic depending on taste (i use 3) into the bacon and stir well. With two minutes left on the clock, pour in half a glass of
dry white wine and reduce by two-thirds.
Drain the pasta and return to the hot pan. Combine the bacon/wine/garlic in the pan with the pasta and the egg/cream mix and stir over a low heat until the sauce is warmed through, but not
scrambled egg. Throw on some fresh
basil and cracked black pepper and serve with freshly-grated
Parmesan.
15 minutes well spent, i'd say.