Pasta has been a beloved cuisine staple for centuries, and for good reason. While all traditional pasta is made with a mixture of flour and egg, the countless combinations of pasta shapes and sauces means there’s a pasta dish to please any palate. Here, locals showcase their favorite pasta pairings, from authentic Italian dishes to creative twists on classics.
“The fettuccine noodles allow for the other ingredients to be the star of the show, while still providing a more solid base for the eggs and bacon than smaller noodles can. This dish is wonderfully versatile and made up of items you most likely already have lying around; it can be a fun breakfast for the whole family, brunch with friends, or a quick dinner. You can truly make this dish your own by scaling the recipe up, adding more bacon and eggs, hot sauce, herbs, or whatever else your stomach desires.”
Cook pasta per package instructions, or make it homemade if you’re feeling ambitious. Drain cooked pasta, and reserve ½ cup pasta water. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan cheese, and pepper, and set aside.
In a large nonstick pan or enamel cast iron, cook chopped bacon until golden brown and fat has rendered. Remove bacon, leaving 1 tablespoon rendered fat in pan.
Sauté minced shallot in pan on medium heat in rendered bacon fat for 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic, and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add bacon and pasta back into pan.
Reduce heat to low, and add egg and cheese mixture. Continually toss everything together to coat the pasta and cook the eggs (roughly 1 minute). Add pasta water a little at a time if needed to reach the desired thickness of the pasta mixture.
Divide into bowls, and drizzle with olive oil. Add toppings as desired and serve.