Sweet Pea Fettucine Carbonara

I used to think there were very few people out there who didn't know what pasta carbonara was. It's on ever menu at every chain Italian place, and even Quizno's has it in a sandwich. Not surprising at all, because really, what's not to like about it? It's bacon and white sauce. Everything human beings are hard-wired to crave all rolled up into one.

I used to think there were very few people out there who didn't know what carbonara was until I tried to make it myself and discovered I didn't even know what it was.

(^ Hey look, I made an Italic letter I that looks exactly like the one on the button you push to change to Italic font. Ha. Ha. Ha.)

Anyway, I had no idea there were eggs in it, or that you're supposed to throw raw eggs into the pasta at the very end and scramble it all around to cook it.

I got this sweet pea Fettucine for free at work and thought, hmmm, what's good with peas? Why bacon, of course! And again, not surprisingly, I ended up at carbonara. A lot of people like peas in their carbonara, but here the peas are in the pasta.

I understand that not everyone has access to freshly-made sweet pea-flavored Fettucine, so sorry for being a show-off. Regular Fettucine and peas will work just fine.

You will need:

-12 oz. Fettucine
-5 strips bacon, chopped
-1 onion, chopped
-2 eggs
-2/3 cup half and half
-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
-salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a skillet, cook bacon and onions until bacon is crunchy.

Meanwhile, scramble together eggs, Parmesan, and half & half with the salt and pepper, set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until "al dente" (nice and chewy, not too soft). This should be about 8 minutes for hard pasta, 90 seconds for fresh pasta.

As soon as pasta is done, drain water from pot, pour egg mixture over hot noodles and stir vigorously to keep from scrambling the eggs while still cooking them with the heat from the noodles and pot.  You're done when the noodles are coated in a thick white sauce. This should take a minute or less.

Top with bacon and onion mixture, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.