Cooking with Bob Carlson: Lesson Two

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Good Food host Evan Kleiman is conducting an on-air cooking class with producer Bob Carlson, a seriously inexperienced cook. Here's home movies of Bob working his way through Evan's last assignment, preparing asparagus.


Evan Kleiman
continues her kitchen therapy with producer Bob Carlson. They chat about his experience making asparagus with fried egg and parmesan and Evan gives Bob his second lesson: spaghetti alla carbonara.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

  • 1 slice bacon
  • ¼  yellow onion, diced
  • 2 eggs
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb spaghetti or linguine


Using a scissors, cut the bacon into small pieces.  Saute it in a small skillet.  When the bacon is crispy as you like it, remove it from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place it in a small mixing bowl. Put the onion in the leftover bacon fat with a tablespoon of water and a little olive oil and cook over low heat. When the onion is soft and translucent add it and all the fat to the bowl with the bacon.

Crack the eggs into the bowl with the bacon and onion and scramble.  Add the Parmesan, black pepper and a tiny bit of salt and mix.  (Remember that the bacon and the Parmesan are salty ingredients when you are adding the salt)

Cook the pasta in abundant boiling salted water until al dente.  Before you drain the pasta, ladle about ½ cup of the hot water into the egg mixture and stir.  Drain the pasta then put it back into the pan you used to cook it.  Add the egg-bacon mixture and mix well.  Eat!

Music break: Blue Streak by Jerry Allen Trio