Recipe Hunting 101 - Bacon & Parmesan Pasta

Last night, I made an utterly rich, decadent and totally unhealthy pasta dish, Bacon & Parmesan Pasta.  It has everything and anything you could want to take you well on your way to having to buy the next size up on your next shopping trip.  It has heavy cream, eggs, cream cheese, bacon...I don't believe there is a single ingredient that would be considered low-fat in this dish.  It is the epitome of comfort food.  This is one you absolutely have to make.  Allow yourself to indulge because it will be well worth the 3,000 miles you will have to run on the treadmill to burn it all off!!!

Bacon & Parmesan Pasta - adapted from ericalea's recipe post on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

8 oz rotini pasta (or penne)

10 slices bacon

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/6 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/6 cup shredded romano cheese

2 eggs

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Bake bacon, sprinkled with the red pepper flakes, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil at 375F for 15-20 minutes.  Roughly chop the bacon when cooled. 

2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain off the rest.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the cream cheese in the heavy cream over low heat.  Whisk until it is smooth.  Temper the eggs in a small dish, with a Tbsp of the heated cream cheese mixture.  Add the shredded cheese, tempered eggs and pepper to the saucepan.  Stir and allow to heat through for another 5 minutes or so.  Add enough of the reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce to your desired consistancy.

4.  Toss pasta and chopped bacon with the sauce in a large bowl and serve.

How can you resist those big brown eyes?