Pasta Carbonara (heart attack style)

1/4 lb smoked bacon (about 6 slices)
1 medium shallot (can substitute a little bit of onion)
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup grated parmesian cheese
1 lb spaghetti or fettuccine

Cook the of bacon, nice and crisp. Once it’s done, pat dry it on a paper towel and set aside. Pour out all of the bacon fat from the pan except for 2 teaspoons. Sweat a medium sized shallot, minced, in the remaining bacon fat until it is soft and translucent. Add two teaspoons of flour and cook for about two minutes. Add a half pint of heavy cream.

Yes, folks, we are making a béchamel sauce with bacon grease and heavy cream. Break out the defibrillators. For those of you prone to arterial sclerosis, please turn away now.

Crumble the bacon into small bits and add it to the béchamel. Next add two egg yolks (yes, more fat and cholesterol) tempering them so they don’t curdle.

Finally, add about ½ a cup of grated parmesan cheese (imported from Italy, please) (and, yes, even more saturated fat - this is sooo good) to the béchamel and remove from the heat immediately. Stir in 16 ounces of prepared pasta. I prefer Fettuccine or Spaghetti, but anything you like will work. If it’s too thick, add milk or reserved pasta water to thin it out. It should be the consistency of a thick alfredo sauce.

Take a tip from restaurants and serve this on heated plates – put them in a 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes. If you don’t halfway though dinner this turns into a gooey paste, which is not good eats.