Pasta with Fried Eggs

Here's a quick and delicious pasta dish to make when you have little time, and even less food in the house. All you need is a box of pasta, four eggs, olive oil and garlic.  Parmesan is a delicious, but optional, addition.

 Ingredients

• Salt
• ½ pound pasta
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard
• 2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
• 4 eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional 

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.

 Featured in: The Minimalist; Pasta From The Pantry by Mark Bittman.

Duck Egg Carbonara

Rich duck egg yolks make a delicious, silky sauce for pasta. You can always omit the anchovies, if you prefer. 

12 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
One 2-ounce can flat anchovies, drained and chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Duck egg yolks
Salt and freshly ground pepper


1.  In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

2.  In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil with the garlic and anchovies  and cook over moderately high heat until the anchovies have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, zest, oregano and parsley, then add the pasta and toss to coat. Remove from the heat.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk the yolks with the reserved cooking water and add to the pasta. Cook over low heat, tossing until the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

4 Servings. 

**Adapted from Chris Consentino: Nose to Tail Eating, 2011