SIZZLE & SCORE
WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE
S&S GAME PLAN

Smoky Bacon
Carbonara

with Roasted Garlic Cheesy Bread &
Lemon-Parmesan Arugula Salad

Silky carbonara loaded with smoky applewood bacon, roasted garlic cheesy bread and a bright lemon-Parmesan arugula salad. Big flavor, simple moves and one hell of a Plan B.

Smoky Bacon Carbonara date night with Pinot Grigio, roasted garlic cheesy bread and lemon-Parmesan arugula salad
♨
SERVES
2
◷
PREP
25 MIN
♨
COOK
40 MIN
★
DIFFICULTY
★★★☆☆

WHAT YOU’RE MAKING

Smoky Bacon
Carbonara
Roasted Garlic
Cheesy Bread
Lemon-Parmesan
Arugula Salad
TONIGHT'S MOVE

Plan A got soaked.

Pizza and a movie in the park turned into carbonara, wine, rain on the windows and the same movie from the couch.

Same movie. Better seats.
Rainy New York apartment with couch and city lights

THE DRINKS

Bourbon Ginger

PER PERSON
1½ oz bourbon
4 oz ginger ale
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Ice
Fill a glass with ice. Add the bourbon and ginger ale. Squeeze in a little fresh lemon and give it a stir. That's it. Save the $18 cocktail for the restaurant you aren't going to.
THE EASY MOVE — PINOT GRIGIO CHILLED Not feeling bourbon? Keep a bottle of Pinot Grigio cold. Crisp wine cuts through the smoky bacon and rich carbonara. You don't need an expensive bottle. $10–15 is plenty. Open it around 6:50.

WHAT YOU NEED

Smoky Bacon Carbonara

  • 8 oz spaghetti
  • 6 oz thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 whole egg
  • ½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
  • ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • About 1 tsp salt for the pasta water
  • ½ cup reserved hot pasta water
  • About 2 Tbsp rendered bacon fat
Carbonara Rule
No cream. The eggs, cheese, bacon fat and starchy pasta water make the sauce. The pan stays off when the egg mixture goes in.

Roasted Garlic Cheesy Bread

  • ½ Italian loaf, sliced lengthwise
  • 1 whole head garlic
  • 1–2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp softened butter
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
  • Small pinch kosher salt

Lemon-Parmesan Arugula Salad

  • 3 cups baby arugula
  • ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup shaved Parmesan
  • 1½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp cracked black pepper

Gear

  • Large pasta pot
  • Large skillet
  • Colander
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Sheet pan or baking tray
  • Aluminum foil
  • Tongs
  • Slotted spoon
  • Measuring cup
  • Butter knife
  • Chef's knife + cutting board
  • Whisk or fork

BEFORE SHE GETS THERE

  • ROAST THE GARLIC — LET THE OVEN DO SOME WORK.
    Cut about ¼ inch off the top of the garlic head so you can see the cloves. Leave the root end alone. Drizzle with olive oil, hit it with a pinch of salt, wrap it in foil and roast at 400°F. Check it at 35 minutes. Soft and golden? You're in business.
  • MAKE GARLIC BREAD THAT DOESN'T COME FROM A FREEZER.
    Let the roasted garlic cool enough to handle. Squeeze the soft cloves onto the bread and smear them around with a butter knife. Add the softened butter. Stop there. Mozzarella and Parmesan join the party later.
  • GET YOUR CARBONARA AMMO READY.
    Cut the applewood-smoked bacon into roughly ½-inch pieces. Grate the Pecorino and Parmesan. Whisk the 2 egg yolks + 1 whole egg, cheeses and cracked black pepper together. Cover it and refrigerate it.
  • DO NOT SUBSTITUTE TURKEY BACON.
    We need the rendered bacon fat to help build this carbonara. If you substitute turkey bacon, I will personally escort you out of your own kitchen and steal your date.
  • GET THE SALAD 90% THERE.
    Halve the cherry tomatoes. Get the arugula ready. Shave the Parmesan and cut the lemon. Do not dress the salad yet. Arugula wilts faster than your confidence when she says, “So... what are we having?”
  • STACK THE DECK.
    Pasta pot. Skillet. Tongs. Colander. Measuring cup. Get them out now. The measuring cup matters because later you're stealing pasta water before draining the spaghetti. We will remind you. We're not monsters.
  • NOW GO MAKE YOURSELF PRESENTABLE.
    The hard stuff is staged. Clean the kitchen. Shower. Put on something that doesn't have a college logo on it. Music on. Wine ready.
Plan A got soaked.
You didn't.

PLAY BY PLAY

  1. GET THE WATER MOVING
    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about 1 tsp salt. Normally we'd salt pasta water aggressively, but the bacon, Pecorino and Parmesan are already bringing plenty.
  2. BACON FIRST. ALWAYS A SOLID LIFE CHOICE.
    Put 6 oz thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces into a cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium and let it slowly render until browned and crisp. Scoop the bacon onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Leave about 2 Tbsp bacon fat in the skillet. Turn the skillet OFF.
  3. DROP THE PASTA
    Add 8 oz spaghetti to the boiling water. Cook until al dente. Translation: cooked but still with a little bite. We're making carbonara, not cafeteria noodles.
  4. SQUEEZE THE GARLIC. BUILD THE BREAD.
    Grab the roasted garlic head once it's cool enough to handle. Hold it by the root end and squeeze the soft roasted cloves directly onto the bread. Yep. Just squish them out. Spread the garlic with a butter knife. Congratulations. You just made garlic spread. Add 2 Tbsp softened butter, ½ cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan.
YOUR GARLIC SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS Cut the top. Expose the cloves. Leave the root alone. Drizzle the 1 whole head garlic with 1–2 tsp olive oil, add the small pinch kosher salt, wrap it in foil and roast.
  1. STEAL THE PASTA WATER
    Before draining the spaghetti, scoop out ½ cup hot pasta water. Drain the pasta. DO NOT RINSE IT. That starch sticking to the pasta is about to earn its paycheck.
  2. HERE COMES THE MOVE
    Put the hot spaghetti into the skillet with the reserved bacon fat and toss it around. The burner is absolutely OFF. Pour the prepared mixture of 2 large egg yolks, 1 whole egg, ½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano, ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan and ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper over the hot pasta while tossing continuously.

    THE PAN IS OFF. THE PASTA IS HOT. TRUST THE PASTA.

    Keep tossing. The residual heat gently cooks the eggs while the cheese, bacon fat and starch turn into a silky sauce.
    YO DUDE!
    You're looking for a glossy, creamy sauce clinging to the spaghetti — not scrambled eggs sitting on top of it. Keep tossing. If the pasta looks silky, you're winning.
LEARNING POINT — HOW THE HELL DID THE EGGS COOK? You never put them over direct heat. The hot spaghetti carries enough heat to gently cook the eggs while the cheese, bacon fat and starch turn everything silky. Direct burner heat is how you end up with scrambled eggs wearing spaghetti as a disguise.

THE PAN IS OFF. THE PASTA IS HOT. TRUST THE PASTA.
  1. MAKE IT SILKY
    Add reserved pasta water 1–2 Tbsp at a time while tossing. Too thick? Another splash. Glossy, creamy and clinging to the spaghetti?
    STOP SCREWING WITH IT. YOU WON.
    Fold most of the cooked bacon back in. Save a little for the top because apparently we're professionals now.
  2. GARLIC BREAD UNDER THE BROILER
    Slide the assembled garlic bread under the broiler for 2–3 minutes, just until the cheese melts, bubbles and starts to brown.

    DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE BROILER.
    The broiler can turn “damn, that looks good” into “where's the fire extinguisher?” remarkably fast.
  3. WAKE UP THE SALAD
    Toss 3 cups baby arugula and ¾ cup halved cherry tomatoes with 1½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Add ¼ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper. Finish with ¼ cup shaved Parmesan. Thirty seconds. Done.
  4. PLATE THE DAMN THING
    Twirl the carbonara onto two plates. Finish with the remaining cooked bacon. Garlic bread alongside. Bright salad next to it. Get those plates to the table while the carbonara is hot.

    YOU ARE NOT LETTING YOUR MASTERPIECE DIE ON THE COUNTER WHILE YOU LOOK FOR THE PERFECT SPOTIFY PLAYLIST.
S&S SAVES
CARBONARA LOOKS TOO THICK?
Don't panic. Don't add cream. Add reserved hot pasta water 1 Tbsp at a time.
CARBONARA LOOKS PERFECT?
Stop screwing with it. Seriously. Plate it.
FORGOT TO SAVE THE PASTA WATER?
Use a splash of very hot water. Not exactly the same, but we're saving dinner, not defending a Michelin star.
AND ONE FINAL WARNING...
Do not substitute turkey bacon. We need the rendered bacon fat to help build this carbonara. If you substitute turkey bacon, I will personally escort you out of your own kitchen and steal your date.

THE TIMELINE

5:45
Roast the garlic. Oven at 400°F.
6:20
Check the garlic. Soft and golden? Pull it.
6:25
Prep. Bacon, cheeses, carbonara mixture, tomatoes, arugula and lemon.
6:35
Reset the kitchen. Clean up the evidence.
6:40
Go fix yourself. Shower. Change. Music. Lights.
6:50
Open the Pinot Grigio. Two glasses out.
7:00
She's here.
Jacket off. Wet umbrella parked. Enjoy Plan B looking pretty damn good.
7:10
Start bacon + pasta water.
7:20
Drop the spaghetti.
7:22
Finish the garlic bread.
Add the mozzarella and Parmesan.
7:28
Save pasta water + drain.
7:30
Finish the carbonara.
7:33
Garlic bread under the broiler.
7:34
Toss the salad.
7:36
Plate.
7:38
Dinner.
Food's hot. Sit down.

★ BONUS POINTS

  • CHILL THE WINE GLASSES.
    Put two glasses in the fridge for 15–20 minutes before she gets there. Pinot Grigio should actually feel cold when you pour it. Tiny move. Looks suspiciously like you know what you're doing.
  • WARM THE DINNER PLATES.
    When the garlic bread comes out, slide two oven-safe plates into the warm oven for a couple minutes. Carbonara cools quickly. Warm plates buy you time. Warm plates. Not molten plates. We're trying to impress her, not remove fingerprints.
  • SAVE SOME BACON FOR THE TOP.
    Don't dump every piece back into the pasta. Hold some crispy bacon back and scatter it over both plates right before serving. Congratulations. You have now “garnished.” Try not to become unbearable about it.
  • KILL THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS.
    Lamp. Candles. Music. Rain outside can handle the special effects. Don't serve homemade carbonara under lighting that makes your apartment look like a Walgreens.
  • CLEAR THE COUCH BEFORE SHE ARRIVES.
    You already know where the movie is headed after dinner. Pillows straight. Random laundry gone. Blanket nearby. Planning ahead occasionally has benefits that have absolutely nothing to do with cooking.

★ THE FINISH

Stop cooking. Start the date.
  1. Clear the dinner plates. Get the carbonara, salad and garlic bread out of the way. The kitchen can wait.
  2. Refresh the drinks. Another glass of Pinot Grigio, or whatever you two are feeling.
  3. Change the scenery. Couch. Patio. Fireplace. Somewhere that doesn't feel like you're still at dinner.
  4. Put the phone away. You already got the food picture. The rest of the night doesn't need an audience.
  5. YOU'RE DONE PERFORMING. You pulled off homemade carbonara without scrambling the eggs. Take the win and enjoy the night.

    Good food leads to amazing nights.
THE S&S PHOTO RULE Looks like the picture?
No? Perfect!
Carbonara twirl leaning sideways? Bacon landed wherever it wanted? Good. You cooked dinner, not a magazine cover. Honest effort, amazing food, and the night is young.
Smoky Bacon Carbonara