Not loving the world at the mo. An unnerving storm of emotions. Trying not to get overwhelmed but the situation really is just so serious. The commentary about it only picking off the old or weak seems so mean. Can you imagine if it was our children on the line? How would that look? How seriously would people take it? I doubt you’d still see the snaking queues outside icecream shops or swarms of people hanging out in pubs.

Anyway. We still need to be fed. Carbonara is one of my favourite happy dinners. No crazy complicated ingredients or preparation. I always make sure I have a pack of lardons in the freezer. I usually always have parmesan and a few eggs knocking around and I’m seldom without some dried pasta. From start to finish it takes about 20mins. A well spent 20mins.

I’m going to try post a few bits and pieces over the coming weeks that will feed you and maybe entertain a child or two along the way.

Keep well.

Lardons, this is kind of up to you but I use 180g

Garlic clove

Parmesan about 100g

Egg yolks 2

Whole egg 1

Enough dried pasta for 2 adults and 2 children.

Find a large, heavy based frying pan, put it on a medium high heat and drizzle in a good 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss in the lardons, obviously feel free to slice your own bacon if you don’t have lardons.

Smush a clove of garlic, skin on, and pop it in with the lardons. Let that all fry away as you prepare the sauce bit.

Put all the egg bits in a bowl, add a good pinch of salt and pepper and beat with a fork.

Grate your cheese and stir it into the eggs.

Put a large pot of water on to boil make sure you put loads of salt in. A tablespoon or two.

Give your lardons a stir.

Take a moment to think about something lovely. You actually have as long as it takes for the water to boil to think about good things. Things that make you happy.

Stir your bacon some more and turn the heat down to a low medium. You want to have the bacon well brown and heading towards crunchy in time for the pasta to be ready.

Add your pasta to the boiling water. Mine took 5mins. If your pasta takes longer make sure your lardons don’t burn.

When your pasta has been cooking for at least two minutes decant about 4 tablespoons of the cooking water into your eggy cheese mix and stir quickly. This will hopefully stop the eggs splitting and will give you a more generous sauce.

When the pasta is done, drain it but keep a bit of the cooking water just in case your sauce is a bit claggy.

Throw the pasta into the frying pan with the bacon and toss it in the oily mix for a minute before taking the pan of the heat.

Poor the eggy mix onto the pasta and quickly stir. It should be beautifully glossy but if it’s a bit thick add a drop of that saved cooking water and stir some more.

Serve and eat straight away. I hope you are in a happier place after eating it.