This Bacon-Tomato Linguine is on the cover of this month's Food Network Magazine. It's very similar to carbonara but adds fresh tomatoes and basil.
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Ingredients
Kosher salt
12 ounces fresh linguine
6 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
⅓ cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, plus more for topping
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh basil, torn
Directions
1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1¼ cups cooking water, then drain the pasta; set aside.
2Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and shallot and cook until the tomatoes are starting to burst, about 5 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet.
3Whisk the eggs, cheese, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the reserved cooking water; set aside.
4Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium low. Add the pasta and toss well. Slowly pour in the egg mixture, tossing, to make a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Season with salt and add the remaining ¼ cup cooking water as needed to loosen. Stir in the basil. Top each serving with more cheese and season with pepper.