National Carbonara Day - Recipe Video

I love Spaghetti alla Carbonara. And on National Carbonara Day, I offer up my quick and easy take on this classic Italian pasta dish.

And my outre entree will never be taught in culinary colleges -- you can only learn it in The 99 Cent Chef's kitchen of hard knocks!

Watch my 99-cent creative take on Spaghetti alla Carbonara in my cooking video for the simple step-by-step directions. It doesn't come cheaper than this, and my new pièce de résistance is outrageous enough to fit into my blog of cheap$kate recipes, perfectly!

Typical Carbonara's main ingredients are eggs, pasta, black pepper, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian bacon (pancetta or guanciale).

I use cheap Parmesan from a plastic container that I get from my local Dollar Tree. It is described as a "grated topping" with real Parmesan. I guess that means it is not 100% Parmesan. Of course, use real Parmigiano-Reggiano if you can afford it.

I prefer fresh ground Black Pepper, but any type is fine. A lot of Black Pepper is used in this recipe.

I normally use a couple of slices of browned and crumbled bacon because it's convenient, and bacon fat enriches any pasta dish. However, those are a lot of calories, and real Bacon Bits are already cooked, so most of the fat is rendered out, thus making my Carbonara lighter.

I can get two servings out of an .8-ounce package of Bacon Bits. I used to get Bacon Bits and eggs from my local Dollar Tree, but this year, they are a no-show. 

With the Bird Flu decimating the chicken egg-laying industry, egg prices are hitting $10 per dozen, with no price reduction in sight. When I first made the recipe, eggs were one dollar per dozen.

I've been eying Imitation Bacon Bits but have not had the guts to use them yet - The 99 Cent Chef has standards, too!

Real Bacon Bits are a bit dry and slightly powdery. The Bits are quite small, so I do miss the larger, crunchy pieces from broken, crispy, cooked bacon slices. While mostly bacon meat with little bacon fat, Bacon Bits are a light version for all you calorie counters. As with a lot of diets that spin on fatty meals, you do lose that luscious taste.

This is a rich-tasting dish when you add a raw egg blended with Parmesan and black pepper to hot pasta. The trick is to assemble it all in one pan and bring it right to the table before the egg scrambles.

The egg mixture thickens into a decadent sauce, coating the spaghetti, studded with crunchy bacon pieces. 

Worried about using raw eggs? I have an alternative method at the end of this post.

If you have an Italian deli nearby or a well-stocked meat market, you should try Italian pancetta at least once; you only need a couple of slices for this dish. It cooks like bacon, but it's drier, leaner, and with flavorful curing spices.

So, check out my latest recipe video and get cooking! It is a simple and delicious dish.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Bacon Bits - Video

Play it here. The video runs 4 minutes, 31 seconds.

Ingredients (one serving)  

• 1/3 package of spaghetti - cook per package directions. I usually shave off a couple of minutes of cooking time for pasta al dente.

• 1/2 package of Bacon Bits - real bacon, not imitation. Okay to use a couple of slices of cooked bacon.
• 1/2 tsp. of black pepper - fresh ground if you have it. 
• 1 egg per serving - for a richer sauce, use 2 egg yolks.
• 4 tablespoons of grated parmesan - I used real parmesan from the jar, but if you have a block of parmesan to shave, all the better.
• Water for boiling pasta - reserve 1/4 cup of hot pasta water for the sauce.

Directions
Bring one pot of water to a boil for pasta. In a small bowl, mix one raw egg with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and about one teaspoon of black pepper. Whisk together until well blended. Set aside until final assembly.

Add pasta to boiling, salted water. Cook pasta while preparing the rest of the carbonara -- I usually shave off a couple of minutes of the package directions' boiling time for pasta al dente.

(If you like real big pieces of bacon, then saute up a couple of slices instead of bacon bits. You can drain off the grease, or leave a tablespoon or two for flavor.)

 
In a large pan over low/medium heat, add bacon bits to heat through. When spaghetti is done, drain (reserving some of the pasta water) and add to the bacon bits.

Add 2 tablespoons of hot pasta water to the spaghetti and bacon bits.

Finally, pour in the egg and Parmesan mixture. Mix well and allow to heat through for about 30 seconds - careful not to make scrambled eggs. The egg mixture will thicken with the addition of hot pasta water.

It is ready to eat with a final tablespoon sprinkle (or more) of grated parmesan per serving. (If you are using freshly shaved parmesan, then add it as a topping when ready to serve.)

For 2 servings, just double everything - maybe go with a whole package of spaghetti and one whole egg and two egg yolks, for a richer sauce?

* If you are wary of raw egg, it's okay to drop a separated whole egg yolk into boiling water for 30 seconds (or longer). When the pasta is done, and parmesan is added, finish the dish by adding the poached egg yolks on top.

Click here to view or embed from YouTube.

I also made an animated stop-motion version of Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Bacon Bits. It's a shorter video, which you can check out below.

Play it here. The video runs for 2 minutes and 58 seconds.

National Spaghetti Day - Recipes & Reviews

 Twirling spaghetti strands is such a satisfying way to eat. On National Spaghetti Day you can twirl away with my many tasty recipes. Be sure to click on any recipe name to be redirected to the original recipe blog post for all the budget ingredients of yore and yummy details.

I get most of my pasta ingredients from the local Dollar Tree, protein from the bargain bin of Ralphs Supermarket, and veggies from Superior Grocers. My big splurge is a wedge of Parmesan Cheese.

You know how cheap spaghetti is to buy and quick to boil. I like mine al dente, so I shave off a minute or two of the cooking time. My recipes go from creamy to filled with fresh veggies, and tins of seafood.

Start with a basic Tomato Sauce, which is easy to do. You can buy it straight out of the can or make my Easy Tomato Sauce version.

I have a garden with a few fresh herbs like sage, but dried herbs are cheap and tasty enough for me. Other pasta sauce ingredients are the right price, too.

In the second month of my blogging way back in 2007, one of my first cheap$kate meals was Baby Clams & Spaghetti. 

They still sell small packs of Clams at my local Dollar Tree.

I kick the pasta sauce up a notch with the addition of sauteed bacon and some veggies, then finish it off with white wine and the baby clams -- all inexpensive ingredients (you only need a splash of wine - I used to get bottles for 99 cents when I created this recipe over a decade ago!)

I like Canned Sardines, and they add an intense flavor to Spaghetti. Add Canned Sardines at the end to heat through. I like the Sardines in large pieces, so I don't stir the Spaghetti too much, so the fish stays chunky. The recipe is made with Sardines in Tomato Sauce. You can use any budget canned Sardines.

Next, I have to say Pasta all Carbonara is near the top of my Spaghetti recipe list. Swirling bacon, parmesan, and creamy egg yolk through al dente spaghetti is my favorite pasta pastime. 

And my version uses cooked Bacon Bits from a small bag. You can use fresh sauteed bacon or pancetta if you like. 

If you mix the egg yolk into hot pasta the yolk thickens and cooks, maybe not enough to satisfy egg salmonella purist, but so far I have not had a problem. I gotta roll the dice sometimes for this decadent entree.

Mushroom and pasta belong together and my next Spaghetti dish has it all. 

Made with inexpensive sour cream instead of heavy cream, it turned out fine, so give my Creamy Mushrooms and Spaghetti a go.

My Nephew Zak is one hell of a cook working in kitchen joints since high school.

Pine nuts, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti, and you have the makings of a heck of a pasta dish to show off. Cajun-style Tuscan Primavera Pasta is a mouthful worth seconds.

Look at the Salami I still find it for a dollar and twenty-five cents! So you know I'm gonna come up with some cheap$kate recipes, and Salami & Spaghetti is a winner.

Of course, the recipe is deliciously simple to make by heating a little onion, garlic, and salami, then mixing in the cooked spaghetti with a little pasta water.

 

Pasta with Kale and that's about it. I saute the kale with a little garlic in olive oil.

You can't get creamier than a plate of Fettuccini Alfredo. And this recipe is a ripoff of the Olive Garden. 

All it is is heavy cream, half and half, or whipping cream, anyway you pour it. It is made with fettuccini, but you know it's easy enough to replace with spaghetti.

On the Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best...well, click here to read what a perfect 9 tastes like.

And I got it for a buck. You don't run across Cheap$kale Deals like this these days, so this is a flashback recipe review. Hey, if you have to pay full price, it's still a decent deal.

I used to hate Brussels Sprouts, but now I love them, even mixed into pasta.

Brussels Sprouts in Pasta holds up well when sauteed soft in butter, but you can keep it vegan using olive oil instead.

My next Flashback Deal of the Day gets a high rating, and it's Lean Cuisine again.

You can't get more basic than Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. And it's got the right stuff in it.

It's not a lot, but every bite is spot on...for a cheap frozen meal.

A most decadent Spaghetti entrée is my meaty Pasta all Genovese. It is a wild combination of French Onion Soup and hearty meat sauce. Just cook the heck out of a pile of sliced cheap onions and a budget cut of beef. 

I like beef shank as it braises beautifully. My original recipe finished with penne pasta, but you can use spaghetti, of course.

National Pasta Day Recipes

National Pasta Day - what's not to like? I probably have the most food recipes involving pasta. Just type and enter the word pasta into my blog search window to see them.

I'll save you some search time and highlight some of my most delicious ones below. And click on any recipe name to see the original blog post with tasty text and yummy photo illustrations.

Dried Pasta is still cheap. I find it in my local grocery store and Dollar Tree.

If you have a favorite jar or can of tomato sauce, then sprinkle in some dried Italian herbs for a quick pasta sauce.

SpaghettOs are still around since when I ate a can or two in my high school daze.

You should have a pasta sauce to start with. My homemade version is quick and easy to do.

My Tomato Marinara Sauce is a click away, here. Check out the video.

I like recipes that you can devour a few ways. My Lighter than Air Meatballs fit the bill. I usually have the Meatballs in tomato sauce over Pasta. 

You can also make a fat Meatball Sandwich. My Meatballs have a lot of veggies that make them lighter than the average Meatball. I like the addition of spinach and mushrooms in my Meatballs. It's okay to leave out some veggie ingredients for a more solid Meatball. Check out my video below.

For the simplest Pasta recipe, how about canned Sardines in Tomato Sauce? It's ready to go once you've cooked some spaghetti. 

Open a can of Sardines in Tomato Sauce, heat for a minute, then top the spaghetti with fish fillets and tomato sauce. It could be easier and quicker to do.

One of my first recipes on this blog was canned Baby Clams with Spaghetti.

I don't find cans of baby clams for 99 cents anymore, but small cans or packages of clams show up quite often and cheaply.

My local Dollar Tree carries small packs of cooked salmon, imitation crab meat, and cans of tuna. I have mint in my small garden, so combine salmon (or any of the above) and add fresh or frozen peas for my Peas, Mint & Salmon with Pasta. 

The other main sauce for Pasta is made with cream. I like sauteed Mushrooms with Cream and Pasta. 

Another creamy dish is my Ham, Peas, & Cream with Pasta.

My favorite cream Pasta meal is a ripoff recipe called Olive Garden Fettucini Alfredo. 

It's just pasta, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Okay to add a little protein and a favorite veggie.

One of my earliest stop-motion videos is Baked Pasta with Cauliflower & Cheese. It's basically a Mac & Cheese with cauliflower. Cauliflower and cheese are a tasty combination.

Let's go from heavy to light. Sauté some kale in a little olive oil, then add garlic, and you have a veggie Pasta. Click on my Pasta with Kale and Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, here.

You can't get much leaner than my Veggie Pasta Salad. Steam your fave veggies and mix in a light salad dressing to add to cooked pasta. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

I also like frozen, canned, or jars of veggies to add to a Pasta salad like my Peas, Artichoke Hearts, Broccoli & Wheat Pasta recipe.

My nephew Zak has a filling Cajun-style Tuscan Primavera Pasta. 

I always have a fun time when I cook with my family.

Zak's Tuscan Primavera Pasta uses pine nuts. I find them quite expensive. A cheap substitution is bags of nuts I get from Dollar Stores. The amounts are enough for a serving or two. If they are salted, it's easy enough to shake the salt off or even rinse the nuts. When you saute them, they will dry out. 

Try my Pasta with Garlic and Cashews...or Almonds, or Peanuts, or Walnuts - you get the idea.

You can combine almost any protein to pasta. Chicken is still cheap, so try my Chicken & Lemon Cream with Pasta. 

Sometimes, I like ground poultry, now that it is cheaper than ground beef. Everyone likes Baked Lasagna, just add a one-pound package of Ground Chicken or Turkey.

Salami or Pepperoni anchor a pungent pasta sauce. All you are doing is heating up the meat with a little onion and garlic then adding pasta. Click here to read all about it.

A delicious slow-cooking pasta sauce is made with the cheapest cut of beef I can find, called beef shank. It has a bone with marrow, so this is an extra-rich, meaty sauce. 

The other main ingredients are half a dozen sliced cheap onions. Do try out Pasta alla Genovese. 

I'll end with my most outré entrée, a Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Bacon Bits. 

No self-respecting chef would ever use Bacon Bits instead of Panchetta. 

Well, I'm a bottom feeder and proud of it. If you don't want to use Bacon Bits, then fry up a couple of slices of Bacon, and it's still a cheap dish.