Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:
1 lb. rotini pasta
1/4-1/2 lb. bacon, browned and crumbled, with drippings reserved (use part or none of the drippings if you want a lighter version)
1 C heavy cream (subtitute 1/2 and 1/2 for a lighter version)
4 egg yolks
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 C grated fresh Parmesan cheese (more if you’d like to add some when serving)

Preparation:
Place bacon in a medium size nonstick skillet. Cook until browned, then remove and place on paper towels. Reserve drippings. Once cool, crumble bacon into small pieces. While bacon is cooling and crumbling, cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water until tender but firm. Drain and keep warm. Whisk together cream and egg yolks in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until temperature reaches 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer (about 6-7 minutes). Maintain 140 degrees for at least 3 minutes while stirring – the eggs and cream will thicken and bubble around the edges. Sitr in basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add bacon and drippings to cooked pasta. Stir in cream and egg mixture. Stir in cheese. Spoon pasta into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with extra cheese if desired. Serve immediately.