So… We’re all friends here, right? Good. Because I have a confession. I, me, Matthew Conrad Good, a man, willfully and knowingly subscribed to Rachael Ray’s magazine for a couple of years. I did. It is true.
I had used some of her 30 minute meals cookbooks, and liked them. I still think that, nevermind you crazy foodie gourmand hippies, they are pretty good. Having never seen the show, the cookbooks were a pretty good introduction into this thing called “making food and not wasting your entire life doing it.” And while I may have moved on to greener cookbook pastures by now, I can’t fault her for getting people to cook. It could be worse. She could be Sandra Dee.
So without fail, every month for two years I would get her magazine. And sandwiched in between articles on trendy-thrifty makeup tips and articles on how to throw the best theme dinner party *ever* were a couple of good recipes. Even to me, with all my progressive gender politics, it was a bit emasculating – not gonna lie.
But every now and then, there were a couple of wins in the food department. And I’ve never been one to let my manly pride get in the way of my stomach. Whatever that metaphor means. So, I present to you..
Make This Tonight: Linguine with Bacon and Onions
(from *cough* Everyday with Rachael Ray, March 2008 Issue)
1 lb. linguine pasta
3/4 lb. bacon, chopped
2 large onions, sliced thinly
2 large egg yolks
parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
So, here’s what you do:
Cook the linguine in boiling salted water until al denta;, reserve 1.5 cups of the cooking water (important). In a large deep skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Discard all but 3 T bacon fat, then add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until softened (that means kindof medium-low heat. Don’t burn the crap out of it.) Add the pasta cooking water and bring to a boil. Stir in the linguine and remove from heat. Stir in the egg yolks, one at a time (I whisked these up first and kindof tempered them in with the liquid first. You DON’T want them to scramble here, so be a bit careful). Add the bacon, season with pepper and springkle with parmesan. Okay, so I did a lot more than “sprinkle.” And I suggest you do the same.
That’s the original recipe – I pan-fried some Sole (fish) in butter and put that on top of the thing. It’s not much extra work, because you can be cooking the fish while you make the pasta, and it’s a nice touch. Six ingredients. It. Was. Awesome. Kristin will attest to this.
In fact, it was so great, I really don’t understand how it was that good. What I mean is that I don’t understand the physics of the dish. Look at the ingredients. Where does the creamy sauce come from? There’s no butter… No flour… The egg yolks? Maybe. But there are only two of them. Seems pretty odd to me. I do know that it was DELICIOUS.
Bottom Line: Easy, delicious. Not terrible for you. Next time, I’m going to make my own linguine, with white whole wheat flower. I’ll be sure to report back.
