Sometimes, particularly during this time of year with all the holiday treats in abundance, I like to step back and make a few vegetarian dishes. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor for healthier, lower-fat meals. This dish tastes like an indulgence and I dare you not to go back for a second helping.
Ingredients
5 oz tempeh smoked bacon
cooking spray
sea salt
1 lb spaghetti
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish each plate
cracked black pepper
Method
Put a large pot of water on high heat, with a TB of sea salt in it. While that’s coming to a boil, chop the tempeh bacon finely into small dice. Spray cooking spray in a frying pan and lightly “toast” the tempeh over medium heat. (The smell is fabulous.) When it’s lightly browned, set aside. When the water boils, toss in the spaghetti and cook to package directions. In a glass bowl, combine eggs (beaten), 1/2 cup parmesan and cracked black pepper (as peppery as you like it). If you are concerned about using raw eggs, realize the hot pasta will cook them for the most part, but you can always use pasteurized eggs (they come in the shell) if you like. Drain the cooked pasta reserved a few TB of the pasta water.
Toss the tempeh in with the egg mixture and toss the whole mixture in a big bowl with the hot pasta, adding a 2-4 TB of the cooking water to make a sauce. Serve immediately, garnishing with more parmesan and black pepper.
