Smoked Gouda Pasta Carbonara

Place a large skillet on the stove and turn burner to medium. Put bacon in the skillet while it’s warming up.

Meanwhile, fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water, and add a few pinches of salt. Place this on another burner and turn it to medium-high.

Stir bacon every few minutes until it has shrunk and darkened in color. Remove when bacon is at your preference of doneness (I love crispy bacon in my carbonara, but lots of people prefer it on the chewy side). Remove bacon from pan, set aside, and turn burner to low.

Once water is boiling, add pasta and cook until al dente, using the directions on the box/bag.

While pasta is cooking, combine egg yolks, eggs, and smokey Gouda in a bowl and set it aside.

When the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving 1 tablespoon or so of the water, and set aside.

Turn burner with the skillet up to medium low and add oil and bacon to it. Add pasta and reserved pasta water. Mix well to coat the noodles. Add egg and cheese mixture and stir constantly until cheese melts and eggs begin to cook. This will form a thick and creamy sauce.

Remove skillet from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve while warm.