carbonara with scallops

this was my first time making this specific version of carbonara, or bacon and eggs pasta. i make carbonara all the time, but have never added the scallops. when i went to the freezer for the bacon and saw the scallops, i thought it was a natural combination. it was pretty good, but i think i'll omit them next time because i love the original dish so much! but something scallopy (i just made that word up) would be an awesome appetizer for a meal like this.

i've explained this dish to people before and the reaction is usually negative, and i thought the same when my mother-in-law introduced this dish to me several years ago. but it's a must try and when paired with a fresh, light salad, it's not that bad. it's one of our favourite indulgences.

• 1/2 lbs of bacon
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper (at least)
  
• pinch of salt
• a handful or two of scallops, totally optional
• enough pasta for 4
  

i think i picked the most chipped plate in my cupboard for this picture

in a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper and parm. saute bacon (a little under cooked is better than crispy, trust me on this, it's the only way and i even like really crispy bacon) then cut into bit sized pieces (i just use my kitchen scissors). reserve a few tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. saute scallops with bacon (if using).

cook pasta, drain, return to pot. add egg mixture to pasta, then add hot bacon and bacon grease to pasta. toss until the egg is cooked, sometime you might need to keep the pot on a low burner, sometimes not, it depends how well the bacon cooks the egg. serve immediately.

*a few notes on this recipe. after years of experience, i insist you use fresh pasta for this dish. i buy mine in the city when it goes on sale. you can get 350 grams of fresh linguine for $1. you can't beat that price, so i always stock up, i'll buy literally a dozen or more and freeze them. put the pasta right into the boiling water frozen, it might add a minute or 2 to the cooking time. if you don't have fresh stuff, short pasta like penne, is the next best thing.

also, my husband and i are pigs. that 350 grams feeds us and our 2 year old. but for a meal with a nice salad and small appetizer, you could get away with feeding 4 with this recipe.