People who say they don’t have time to cook are lying. They may not know it, but they are. They might be too tired to cook. They might not know how to cook. They also might not know what to cook. As to the first, there is delivery. If the second or third is the case, that should be remedied.
Not knowing how to cook has a simple remedy. Just do it. When it looks and smells good enough to eat, it is. If you screw up very badly, there is still delivery. Not knowing how to cook seems scary anyway. I eat three times every day. You probably do too. Maybe even more, if you snack. (Though the word is wonderful in the mouth, I don’t like snacks, and am suspicious of anyone who says you must eat five or six or ten times a day to be thin or healthy or whatever. But that’s another story.)
Both of us will do this for the rest of our lives. Leaving choices about which things wind up on my insides to a business whose profit margins naturally matter more than my well-being or enjoyment seems off to me. I know more about my well-being and enjoyment than that business does. You know more about yours, too.
Not knowing what to cook is something I would like to help with. If you are willing to entertain the notion that you just might have time to cook, please try the dish below, which will be finished two minutes after your pasta has boiled. And tomorrow, try cooking something else, but don’t bother with a recipe. You will eat better, for less money, with your chances of getting fat falling dramatically. Woohoo!
However, in fairness, if you work twenty hours a day, you might not have time to cook, but I appreciate your spending that precious little time you have reading me anyway. Are you sure you don’t have time to cook?
Pasta carbonara
Pasta of a shape that is pleasing to you, as much as you would like to eat, perhaps ¼ pound | olive oil | bacon or pancetta or guanciale, the equivalent of one hefty slice of the first, cut in little pieces | small palmful of onion or shallot, minced | kosher salt and freshly ground pepper | frozen peas, a large handful | 1 egg yolk | parmesan or pecorino romano, freshly grated
Put a pot of water on to boil.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil, brown the bacon in a small pan over medium heat with some olive oil, about 3 minutes. Mince the onion if you haven’t already. Fish out the bacon, put on paper towels to drain, and discard most of the grease in the pan. (If you like bacon fat, skip this part.) Add another bit of olive oil to the pan and toss in the onion. Season lightly with salt and heavily with pepper. Turn the heat to medium low and let this sweat for a few minutes, until translucent.
By now the pot of water should be boiling. Salt the water heavily and add the pasta. Cook until it is 1 minute shy of done.
While you’re waiting for the pasta to cook, add the frozen peas to the onion pan. Turn the heat up and cover the pan if you like. You don’t need the peas to cook per se, but you do need them not to be frozen. Grate as much cheese as you would like to have in your pasta into the egg yolk and stir.
When the pasta is 1 minute shy of done, use a mug or ladle to fish out some of the pasta water and reserve. Drain the rest, and put the pasta back in the pot over heat. Add the onion and pea mixture along with the bacon to the pasta. Stir until it’s mixed, and add pasta water until the pasta looks dressed, like a salad. Make it a little watery, as the pasta will continue to absorb liquid. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese and egg mixture.
Serves 1