Brightest Young Things

Short on cash, but not on appetite? I’ve been throwing together some pretty tasty meals at home that are easy, satisfying and cheap to make. I figure there’s no harm in sharing some of what happens in my kitchen, maybe it’ll help out in yours.

This is one of my favorite things to make when I want to eat, but don't feel like cooking. It's basically a cheater's Carbonara, but easier and not as bad for you. I can come home from a day at work, throw this together in about 15 minutes, and find myself eating a big bowl of steaming hot pasta bathed in bacon, egg and cheese. That is happiness.

• Step 1: Cut up some thin strips of bacon. I keep a package in my freezer just for this purpose. It's easy to cut what I need, and then just throw it back in for future use.
• Step 2: Saute the bacon with a little diced onion.

• Step 3: Put some pasta on to boil I use fettuccine or linguine, but spaghetti will work too.
• Step 4: Pull together the rest of the ingredients. I use chopped parsley, red pepper flakes, egg, shredded Parmesan and the mixture of cooked bacon and onion.

• Step 5: Drain the pasta, but leave a little liquid in the bottom. Put back on the stove at a medium heat and throw in a raw egg. Mix the egg in quickly, almost scrambling it in. You can add a little butter or milk/cream in at this point.
• Step 6: Turn the heat down and throw in the rest of the ingredients, just mixing everything together.

• Step 7: Eat.

A note on this recipe. It's not exact, so just use what measurements you think will work. Bacon, eggs and cheese make anything good, so enjoy.

You can see our past Broke Food entry at: Twice-baked potatoes, Stuffed Poblanos

I have a few more “Broke Food” posts coming up, but if you want me to make anything in particular (or want to send in a recipe) send an email to eatdrink@brightestyoungthings.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @BYTEatDrink.