Carbonara with Applewood Bacon and Almonds

Studying Time: Four hours
Cooking Time: 45 minutes 

Being that I'm {1/8th} Italian, I love making pasta. B is {more} Italian too, so he loves eating pasta. It really works out nicely. Talking about carbonara always makes me want to tell this story:

For Christmas a few years ago, I gave B a cooking class.

We drove all the way to LA and found the Sur La Table at the Grove. We weren't sure what kind of people take cooking classes so, we silently wandered into the class like embarrassed, young college students. The class was full of middle aged women, B and...Ryan Gosling. Which, I think, has made my life. {Sorry, B}. I stood on my tiptoes and whispered in B's ear: "Oh. My. Gosh. That's Ryan Gosling!" And of course I, erm, nonchalantly...glanced...at Ryan Gosling...again...

B was like: "Who?"

Men.

B and I went about our business cooking Carbonara and apparently ruining it. The chef asked us, "Did you remember to render the fat from the bacon?" To which we replied, "Um. Render. Yeah. Of course?" The chef declared our bacon Ruined But Possibly Okay If It Sits For Awhile. While the bacon was sitting, B and I listened in on how to make homemade tortelli. MMMMM. And Ryan Gosling?

Ate our bacon.

He said, "I don't know what he's talking about. This is delicious."

Once you've made delicious bacon for Noah from The Notebook, how do you go up from there!?

Also, why didn't the chef just tell us the bacon fat had to be rendered?

Even though we have a recipe from that night, I like this recipe (and the way I've adapted it) better. So I'm going to call this the Ryan Gosling of carbonara.

Ryan Gosling Carbonara {adapted from Tyler Florence}
{serves two, but you'll probably want some caprese or bruschetta to go with it}

Ingredients

1/2 pound dry spaghetti {or capellini}
1/2 lb uncured applewood smoked bacon, cubed 

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving {don't use anything but fresh!}

Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1/8 cup chopped dry roasted almonds, optional

Directions

Wait until your bacon, garlic and onion are cooked before dropping your pasta in the boiling water. This will make sure that your noodles are HOT which is the most important part since this is what cooks your eggs.

Add bacon to skillet over medium-low flame and cook until bacon is just about crisp and the fat is rendered. When the bacon is just about done, add in garlic and onion and cook for 3-5 minutes to soften. Remove bacon, onion and garlic from skillet and set aside. Keep bacon grease in skillet.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once your bacon, garlic and onions are cooked, add the pasta and cook until al dente

Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs, Parmesan and pepper together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, tossing quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble.

Pile that delicious pasta on a plate. Top with almonds. Serve with more cheese!

*Edit: B is now protesting that he did, indeed, know who Ryan Gosling was. AND he was staring at us. AND he fed us Bolognese Paparadelle.