The ultimate comfort food that’s ready in the time it takes to cook the spaghetti.
Add pasta and you have a supreme comfort meal.
Oh, and then there is the bacon.
Sally Vargas
Here are a few tricks that make poaching eggs stress-free.
One, salt the water generously: the salt makes the eggs buoyant.
Two, add two tablespoons of white vinegar to the water.
Sally Vargas
The vinegar helps the protein in the egg whites coagulate quickly.
Youll still have wispy bits, but not as many as without it.
And the vinegar taste dissipates.
Sally Vargas
Three: start with fresh eggs.
As eggs age, the egg whites weaken and become less firm.
Fresh eggs hold their shape better.
Sally Vargas
Dont pass up a single opportunity to use fresh basil and tomatoes.
Just check that theyre juicy and sweet.
Then poach the eggs while the pasta is cooking.
Sally Vargas
It all comes together in about 20 minutes.
For the eggs, fill a wide saucepan with 2 inches of salted water and bring to a boil.
Add the vinegar to the saucepan for the eggs.
Sally Vargas
In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until browned.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Remove 1 cup of the pasta water with a measuring cup.
Line a tray or plate with a paper towel.
Adjust the heat under the saucepan so that the poaching water barely simmers.
Rapidly repeat with the remaining eggs.
The white should feel firm and the yolk should still be soft.
Return to the water if necessary to complete the cooking.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to the paper towel lined plate to drain the water.
Set the skillet with the garlic and tomatoes back over low heat.
With tongs, add the cooked spaghetti.
Add the cooked bacon, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper and toss together.
If the spaghetti looks dry, add some of the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.
Divide the spaghetti among 4 plates or shallow bowls and top each with a poached egg.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, if you like.
