| 2 large | eggs |
| 1 cup | freshly grated Parmesan (or ½ cup Pecorino Romano & ½ cup Parmesan) |
| 1 | lemon, zested, and quartered |
| ½ tsp | freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 tbl | salt |
| 1 lb | spaghetti |
| 2 tbl | extra virgin olive oil |
| 8 oz | thick cut bacon, cut into ¾" strips |
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 5 oz | fresh spinach |
Whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, lemon zest, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large, heat-safe bowl; set aside.
Combine 1 gallon water with 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente’ as directed on the package. If the cooking time for al dente’ is not on the spaghetti package but if there is a range of cooking times, use the shortest one.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and bacon and cook, stirring it as it cooks, until the bacon is almost crispy. When the bacon is done, move it to one side of the pan and add the garlic to the empty side. Tilt the pan so the oil streams to the other side and fries the garlic until very lightly browned. Cook the garlic for 1 minute and no more. Toss the spinach into the pan and turn the heat off. Stir the spinach in and allow it to wilt slightly.
Once the spaghetti is cooked to al dente’, set aside 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Quickly drain the spaghetti then transfer to the pan with the bacon and spinach. Toss over low heat until the pasta is completely coated and everything is hot.
Quickly pour the contents of the frying pan into the large bowl with the Parmesan mixture. Stir vigorously with tongs, adding ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water at a time and stirring after each addition until the sauce is creamy – you may not use all of the reserved pasta liquid.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and add the juice from 1 quarter of the lemon to each serving if desired.