A hearty meal for a cold balmy night, this recipes for Spaghetti Carbonara blends the sweet taste of sun dried tomatoes and salty pancetta with a creamy parmesan cheese sauce   I like to serve this with a tomato basil bruschetta and a bottle of chilled white burgundy like Domaine Vocoret 2006 Chablis. I typically do not add salt to this dish as the pancetta is salty. The best things about this delicious dish--including the wine and bruschetta, this Seduction Meal is less than $40 for two, and it can be made in less than 1/2 hour.



Spaghetti Carbonara with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Parsley
serves two

Ingredients:

• 1/2 box of spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 oz pancetta (Italian bacon), cut into thick rounds and cut again in 1/3" pieces
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/8 cup of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped or cut in julienne strips
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Garnish with finely chopped parsley and a few julienne strips of sun-dried tomatos
• (optional) red pepper flakes

1. Getting Started: Measure and prepare all ingredients listed above and place in small bowls so its easy to swiftly make the pasta dish.

2. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water as per the directions on the box. Cook al dente.

3. At the same time, Pour olive oil in a small skilled over medium heat, when hot add pancetta. Cook for about 5 minutes until bacon starts to slightly brown. Add minced garlic and stir, cook for about 3 minutes. Pour in white wine and cook until liquid reduces to half about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

4. In a bowl, mix together the cheese, heavy cream and egg yolk.

5. Drain spaghetti in a colander. Place the spaghetti back in the same pot it cooked in over low heat. Add the cheese, cream, egg mixture tossing to mix all ingredients together. Serve immediately. If the pasta is too dry, you can add a bit more cream. If there is too much liquid you can add a little more grated cheese.