Spaghetti Carbonara

So simple (and delicious!), this is now firmly on my family's 'favourites' list. Plus it uses only a few core ingredients that I normally have in the fridge!

I actually used tagliatelle, not spaghetti - but sssh, no one'll notice

Ingredients:

250g pasta (ideally a long thin one like spaghetti or tagliatelle, but not essential)

300ml single/ whipping cream

2 eggs

Nutmeg (optional)

Black pepper

3 rashers of bacon, or lardons, or combination

Serves 6

Method:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C, and cook the bacon in the middle of the oven for about 20 mins

2) While the bacon is cooking, boil water for the pasta

3) Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl/ jug, and whisk lightly with a fork

4) Pour the cream into the jug, and continue to whisk

5) Cook the pasta (fresh - 4 mins, dried - 12 mins)

6) Add the pepper and nutmeg to the eggy cream

7) Remove the bacon from the oven, blot with kitchen paper and cut into small chunks. Leave to cool

8) Drain the pasta and put into the (cold) serving dish. Leave to cool for 3-5 mins. We're trying to avoid scrambled egg!

9) Slowly pour the eggy cream onto the pasta, and stir the pasta to coat the strands

10) Add the bacon chunks

Budget:

Pasta = 50p

Cream = £1

Eggs = 40p

Spices = 5p

Bacon = 60p

Total = £2.55, 43p/ person