Valentine's Dinner for 2

   I've always wanted to cook, like really cook.  I want my husband and kids to speak of the amazing, home cooked meals they were fed around our kitchen table.  Unfortunately for the past several years I have hardly cooked.  I don't count microwave and freezer meals as "home cooked" deliciousness.  I'm talking about meals that bring comfort and memories to mind.  I can still smell my grandmothers beef tips and I regularly reminisce of Sunday dinners at her home.  Our entire family crowded around two small tables filled with food.  All the fixin's and I remember laughter and warmth.  I remember us all waddling to the couches with our bellies full.  

   I want my family to remember days like that once we're old and gray. So this year one of my "resolutions" is to compile a short list of meals that make my husband proud.  There have been plenty of misses but recently I completed a pasta dish that I am quite proud of.  It's not a dish for your waist line but when you're craving warm, garlic(y) carbs this one hits the spot and it's a perfect dish for Valentine's day at home! 

Quick & Simple Spaghetti Carbonara   

Ingredients 

8 oz spaghetti

2 large eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

4 slices bacon, diced 

4 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley leaves

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain well. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and Parmesan; set aside. 

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy (be careful not to burn); reserve some excess fat.

4. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low.

5. Working quickly, stir in pasta and egg mixture, and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

6.  Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.