Quick and Dirty – Pasta Carbonara to the Rescue!

I’m driving home from my uni class.  It’s almost 8pm.  I’m hungry.  I’m tired.  What the heck am I going to cook for dinner? 

I walk in the front door.  My partner Mr D is laid out on the couch.  “Hi Sweetie!  How was your day?”.  (I’m glad you’re home.  What’s for dinner?). For all you indignant readers, Mr D has cooked the last two nights in a row and we have an understanding that it’s my turn to cook.  Damn, I knew I should have negotiated smarter!

I have no idea what’s in the fridge.  I open it with trepidation.  What’s this? A packet of prosciutto.  Yes, I’m saved!  The rest is easy – parmesan cheese, eggs, frozen peas, garlic, spaghetti. 

I take my booty and lay it out on the bench.  Right, let’s go! I put a large pan of water on the boil, chop the garlic, tear the prosciutto into little bits.  A pinch of salt into the boiling water, then in goes the spaghetti.  Next, I heat a large frypan and cook the garlic and prosciutto for a minute.  Then the peas go in for two minutes, until they are frost-free and warmed right through.  Then it’s off the heat.

It doesn’t take long to grate the parmesan cheese and put it in a cup with the eggs.  By the time I mix it all together, the pasta is cooked (about 10 minutes all up).  Next is the fast and furious bit, and it’s important to be quick.  I drain the water from the pasta and return it to the pan.  I tip the prosciutto mixture onto the pasta.  Then I speedily stir the egg and cheese mixture through the pasta to make sure the egg doesn’t set.  A quick grind of black pepper and it’s all done! 

Into two deep bowls, and voila!  Dinner is served – in about 20 minutes.

So that’s the quick bit.  The dirty bit is all the dishes (sigh!).

Ingredients

Dried spaghetti pasta – 200g (about one large handful)

Garlic – 3 cloves

Prosciutto – 100g vacuum sealed packet

Frozen peas – 1 cup

Parmesan cheese – ½ cup

Eggs – 2 large ones

Ground black pepper

Serves 2 hungry people.

What's your favourite quick meal?