Light Carbonara Pasta

📝 Ingredients

• 80 g whole wheat pasta (spaghetti or linguine)
• 60 g diced turkey or smoked chicken bacon
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg white
• 20 g finely grated Parmesan
• 1 small garlic clove (optional)
• 2 tbsp pasta cooking water (essential for binding)
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper
• A few flat-leaf parsley leaves to serve

🍴 Utensils

• Large saucepan
• Non-stick frying pan
• Medium bowl
• Whisk or fork
• Colander

📖 Steps

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. The water should taste like the sea — that's the foundation of good pasta.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, taking it off 1 minute early so it stays al dente. Set aside 3 tbsp of cooking water before draining.
3. While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon without oil in a cold pan over medium heat. When the fat starts to render, raise the heat slightly to brown it. Set the pan aside off the heat.
4. In a bowl, vigorously whisk the whole egg, egg white and Parmesan until smooth and creamy. Season generously with pepper. Don't add salt — the bacon and cheese already take care of that.
5. Transfer the drained pasta straight into the pan with the bacon (off the heat — this is crucial). Toss for 30 seconds so the pasta soaks up the juices.
6. Pour the egg and Parmesan mixture over the pasta and stir constantly, adding the cooking water a spoonful at a time until you get a silky sauce that coats the pasta. The residual heat cooks the egg without scrambling it.
7. Serve immediately on warmed plates with a grind of pepper and a few parsley leaves.