Spaghetti with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

"What Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?", the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). This is my second post for this week at IHCC. The first one, I've made a chicken dish, Chicken Skewers with Lime, Chilli and Mint. I could not decide which dish I should make, either a chicken or an egg dish, so I made one of each!

This is a pretty simple pasta with simple ingredients, and it takes just minutes to make. Ingredients used are just a few; bacon, olive oil, salt and pepper, and parsley, of which I have used a generous amount of fresh coriander from my garden pot. I have however added two more ingredients ; garlic powder and lemon juice. I'm nuts about garlic powder! I really love garlic powder, especially in pasta dishes like this. It adds a nice garlicky taste and fragrance with just a teaspoon or so. Lemon juice is needed for pasta like this; at least that's my personal preference. I find that lemon juice always turn a simple pasta such as this into a really yummy simple pasta!  And be generous with the salt and pepper, the pasta needs it!

And of course the egg! Who could resist fried eggs? I love fried eggs with the whites all cripsy at the edges with soft-set york, sprinkle with more black pepper over the top before serving. A simple, yummy and satisfying lunch. This is one pasta dish that I would make again!

Spaghetti with Bacon, Egg and Cheese
(adapted from "Pure Simple Cooking", Diana Henry)
serves 2
6 oz spaghetti
3 tbsp olive oil
4 oz bacon
2 large eggs
salt and pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (use about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro)
2 oz smoked cheese, grated (Parmesan)
1 tsp garlic powder (my addition)
1 tbsp lemon juice, or more, to taste (my addition)

1. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. When it's almost ready, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp and well coloured. Transfer it into a bowl and heat the rest of the oil. Fry the eggs, spooning the warm oil up over the top of the eggs to cook the yolks. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Drain the pasta, then put it back in the saucepan. Add the extra virgin olive oil, a little salt, pepper, garlic powder (if using), the bacon, parsley and lemon juice (if using), and toss. Divide between two plates, sprinkle on the grated cheese, and top each serving with a fried egg. Serve immediately.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week, "What Came First - The Chicken or the Egg?"

 

and 

Cook-Your-Books #18 @ kitchen flavours