Easiest carbonara on this side of the Mississippi

A delicious and easy pasta meal that won’t break the bank; perfect for a lazy day, or for a quick dinner if you’re in a rush

Easiest+pasta+around%2C+and+you+can+make+plenty+to+have+for+leftovers+the+next+day.+Reheat+either+in+the+microwave+or+on+a+pan+with+a+little+butter.++

CARSON HOLLAND

Easiest pasta around, and you can make plenty to have for leftovers the next day. Reheat either in the microwave or on a pan with a little butter.

CARSON HOLLAND, Evergreen columnist

If you are like me, sometimes it is hard to work up the motivation to cook something fancy, but you still want something cooked rather than going out again. For me, my wallet is the one telling me I should eat in. 

Pulled from one of my mom’s old Southern Living cookbooks, this dish won’t break your budget with most of the ingredients being cheaply found at whichever grocery store you frequent. Even better, it doesn’t take a lot of prep work to start cooking. Carbonara is filling and makes good leftovers; this is the perfect dish for starter cooks or everyday college students.

If you want to make this easy dish more your own, you can switch out or add garnishes to your own specific taste. To help with that, I labeled the ingredients that are the garnishes, so you can mix and match away!

INGREDIENTS:

One package spaghetti (8 ounces) 

Four to eight slices of bacon (garnish)

⅔ cups chopped green onions (garnish)

Three egg yolks, lightly beaten

Two cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese 

Couple cranks of pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook your pasta according to box instructions and cook bacon in a skillet pan or oven until crispy. Either with a knife or by hand, crumble the bacon up and make sure to set aside, only taking a few bites as samples. 

Shred your cheese and cut up your green onions. A good trick I have learned is one cup is approximately a fist in size. 

Drain your pasta with a strainer and return half of it to your cooking pot. 

Stir half of your egg yolks, cheese, chopped green onions, bacon and a crank of black pepper in with the hot pasta. 

Add the rest of the pasta and repeat for the rest of your ingredients. 

This dish is very easy to reheat for the next day, so you don’t have to worry about making a meal every night, just add some butter to the pan and heat it up to make the perfect lunch.

Now you have some quick and easy carbonara!