A Little Cuisine... Spaghetti Carbonara

My kids are on the picky side, a couple more so than the others. My oldest and youngest could eat more vegetables, but one thing they all need more of is protein. A dish I tried recently that was a real kid pleaser is Spaghetti Carbonara.

 photo:  pbs.org

Eggs have 6 g of protein each, grated Parmesan cheese has 2.1 g protein per tablespoon (add its a lower fat cheese, with just 1.5 g per tablespoon), and I use Barilla Plus Thin Spaghetti which has 10 g per 2 oz serving (kid size serving.) I love the Barilla Plus line of noodles, they come in a yellow box and they contain calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. The noodles contain ground flaxseed, which contains ALA Omega-3 and the addition of multi grains contributes 4 g of fiber in a 2 oz serving. The best part is that my kids don't notice the difference and my husband and I prefer the taste to traditional pasta.  

There is bacon, but it is so worth it. 

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 pound spaghetti

8 ounces bacon (8 slices), cut 1 inch thick crosswise

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large eggs

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

½ cup half-and-half

Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.

Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it (the pasta water will help thicken the sauce.) Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). 
 

Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

My whole family loved it, as did my sister and her family. And it is so fast and easy.