Carbonara is a classic Italian sauce made with tempered eggs, bacon, and cheese. The addition of saffron brings a new flavor profile to this comfort food recipe.
By the time you are reading this, I will be on my way to Dallas to hobnob with other comic retailers, distributors, vendors, and the guys who make the capes fly. To say traveling for work is fun would be a tab bit of a lie. Sure, I have a blast while I’m there, I get to meet great people and rock the comic business, but leaving my two cats, the dog and free snuggles behind really pulls at my heart strings. I know its only a short time, which is nothing compared to people who travel a lot for their job, but it still get’s to me.
I try to fill my head with the good thoughts, like just how handy Handsome can be. Have I mentioned to you all that he’s a general contractor? Which means he’s skilled at everything – electric, plumbing, building and woodworking. His most recent love is creating beautiful wooden furniture and plans to be expanding that business soon. In the meantime, he has started planning a big change in our home.
Custom kitchen cabinets. Seriously. I know.
If you were to ever stop by for some grub, you would notice that the house has a really small kitchen with the standard cabinets that came with house 20 or so years ago. They are the same color as every other kitchen cabinet in the world 20 years ago. The counters are beginning to fall apart and the horrid wallpaper that someone at some point thought was a good idea, is peeling off. Oh, and let’s not talk about superficial things like the gold plate covers for the outlets. Who does that?
The idea of dark walnut cabinets and clean solid surface counters have me giddy with excitement. We already picked out the wood and purchased the material that will be the counter tops. I know it won’t be soon (after all, a contractor’s house comes last) but when it’s all said and done, we will have an amazing kitchen!
An amazing kitchen in which I will make an amazing dinner of pasta carbonara with saffron.
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound linguine - tagliatelle or egg tagliatelle pasta
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 teas saffron
- 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 lbs thick-cut bacon - chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 teas ground turmeric
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh flat leaf parsley - chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente according to directions on package. Drain, reserving a ladleful of pasta cooking water; set aside to cool.
- In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock and saffron to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until just crisp. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the wine and turmeric.
- Beat the egg yolks with the cooled pasta cooking water.
- Add the pasta to the skillet with the bacon. Pour in the saffron stock and toss; season with pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the egg yolks, cheese and parsley.
- To add a bit more to this pasta, I pan seared a salmon filet in a skillet over medium heat for 2 – 4 minutes on each side for rare. Wrap in foil and let rest until pasta is ready. Fork into bite sized pieces and toss in with the pasta.
Notes
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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a new shed. the old one is falling apart.
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How awesome to have custom made cabinets – sounds like he is off to a grand adventure, as are you. Safe travels!
You know, I love my house exactly as it is with the exception of the kitchen counters. They’re done in small tile and I hate cleaning the grooves of grout. I can’t roll out dough on them, which is really irritating. I was so envious when you said you were getting new counters. That’s all I want.
We had Spaghetti Carbonara for dinner last night since it’s Dudette’s favorite. Ours didn’t have saffron in it thought. That sounds fantastic.
I’ve never cooked with safron!
I’d love an enormous wine cellar in my house!
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The tongs are gorgeous (and so are your photos)! I have delusions of grandeur that I’m going to redo my entire kitchen this year (ha) and what I want most of all is more storage space (I live in a super tiny condo)! So I’d love to have some custom storage solutions built into my kitchen.
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I’d love to have a fireplace in our home. We’ve been trying to figure out how to put one in since we moved in.
I would love to have a custom built solid wood bookcase in my house. I have way too many books (cookbooks and otherwise) to fit on the shelves that I have!
Handsome sure does have mad skills! These tongs are simply gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see your new cabinets! 🙂
I live in an apartment now, so no building to be done unfortunately. In my dream house I would love a slide around a a sprial staircase though ;-). But I have been trying to find a good set of wood salad bowls and serving spoons/forks so this giveaway would fill up one of those slots. That is great that he can do all of that for you!
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I would give it two thumbs up on StumbleUpon if I could. But alas just one.
I’m a renter so I probably wouldn’t build something in the house I live in now, but if I did own this house, I’d love to have a new dining room table – ours is so old and falling apart!
Oh this looks fantastic! I am a huge fan of saffron, and this looks simple and flavorful 🙂
Also, I’d love to have additional counter space built in, so maybe a counter/bar type thing. I have plenty of cabinet space, but I need work area!
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I need and want twenty feet of counter height shelving down a wide hallway. I’ll make part of it into linens, barware and vintage glassware storage and the rest will hold extra books. By the way..we haven’t renovated our bathroom yet. It’s wallpaperd in faux collage, old timey, b&W advertisements. And yes…the lightswitch is papered to match. On a prettier note: that carbonara is gorgeous!
I travel for work too. There are some perks but everything thinks it is so glamorous but that is not the word I would ever, EVER use.
Lucky you, to have such a handy guy! My kitchen is relatively new and not horrendously ugly (in fact, I happen to think it’s very pretty), but I’d give my right arm to replace my basic Ikea cabinets with some custom-made hardwood.
What I’d love even more, though, is a nice wide window seat in my living room, so that I can snuggle with my kittehs and a good book, and watch the world go by. 🙂 I’ve always always wanted one of those. Someday, hopefully.
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Lastly, totally oooohing and aaahing over Handsome’s mad skillz. Positively aflutter, even. 🙂
I could use a wine cellar, or built-in for record player with shelves for my vinyls.
First… I’m loving that there is bacon in this. And those tongs are gorgeous. I’m really truly jealous of your kitchen remodel. I’m dying for one and ours isn’t even falling apart! It’s on my dream list… new cabinets, counter, maybe a bigger kitchen window. A new house might be easier though.
ps…I agree bacon shouldn’t be optional… I’m all for more! 😉 I’m sure some strange person out there disagrees with us though.
Those tongs are lovely and the pasta looks divine!
I would have a bathroom renovation with a jacuzzi tub!
Wow I wish my handsome man could do any one of those thigns yours can! My city boy never had to do anything like working with wood or even plumbing. Lucky gal 🙂 This pasta sounds delicious! I would have never thought of putting saffron in carbonara but it definitely works, yum!
Interesting recipe. I’m definitely making a vegetarian version of this one of these days!
And while you’re in Dallas, you may want to visit Five-Sixty by Wolfgang Puck atop Reunion Tower, fine dining … if you haven’t already been there, that is 🙂
I would love to have a wall of built in bookshelves.
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I would love some beautiful book shelves <3
I think I just fainted. The next time I have someone to cook for in a romantic way (lets not hold our breath), I am so making this.
For the giveaway, I would love a knife block or something pretty in the kitchen like a butcher block island.
I like you everywhere! and I especially love those images they are gorgeous!
Your going to love your kitchen when they get done working on it, I hope it turns out exactly like you want….I know that can be with a kitchen…sigh
have fun in Texas!
I have 2 projects, I’m sure you’re shocked! I also would like a new shed and I need an area of my laundry room drywalled. BTW, I look forward to this blog everyday! Have fun in Big D!
I guess I could oh and ah about his awesome work!! He should come take pictures of the work he did for us!
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I would love custom-built cabinets and counters. I’m a short foodie. And I hate having to stand on a stool!
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No need to enter me into the giveaway, but I love carbonara! And with saffron, how fantastic.
What a great giveaway! Right now, I would just go for a house 🙂 This whole renting thing is getting old, and it has only be 3 months!
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Oh and Ah over Handsome skills! Those really are awesome tongs – he does amazing work. You will definitely have to take pics when he gets to your kitchen!
This carbonara looks absolutely gorgeous and is making me hungry!
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And I hope I win this give away so that I can do first hand experience oohs and aahs over handsome’s skills 😉
I love those Tongs! oh my god I’m soooo jealous of your new kitchen to be! I was just pinning all my favorite kitchen stuff on pinterest and now I saw this oh my goodness so lucky! If i could put the kitchen together I think I’d add different shelving to the pantry and cabinets could use some cleaning up. beautiful post! have a safe trip!
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It is really a fresh and delicious recipe 🙂
Well my goodness that looks good! Nicely done Kita! Your pictures are so appetizing!
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Custom cabinets sounds wonderful!! Ours definitively need a face lift.
Making kitchen utensils?!?! OMG! That is incredible! I saw those little boxes he made and I thought those were beautiful!
I would like an extra room built off my garage. No plumbing, just electrical and not even a huge room. Just a bedroom or “bonus room”. 🙂 I’ll just call it my room and I’ll stay out there whenever Yannick upsets me.
I almost forgot, I was going to tell you that your pasta looks beautiful. I’ve never tried saffron and I want to see what all the fuss is about.
Re-purposing scrap wood in such a beautiful way…ahhhh, you are indeed lucky.
I went through a kitchen reno when we moved to our condo at the coast. I ran out of money before I could get rid of the inset fluorescent tube lights…so I have my lovely granite counters, new ceramic tile floor, nice stainless appliances, new array of cabinets…and crappy 1985 lighting. THAT is what will be fixed next!!! We also only did one of the two bathrooms completely. I regret that as well. The hall bath still has a fiberglass tub inset…and now wish I’d gone ahead and done a walk-in tile shower like we did in the master. Ahhh well, one can wish.
I’m wishing for those beautiful tongs, too!