For 6 guests the price break down was as follows:
$1 box of angel hair pasta
$1 worth of eggs (3)
$1 worth of bacon (Approximately 4 strips)
$1 worth of bread (most of a cheap loaf)
$1 worth of cookies (2 store brand chocolate chip cookies per guest)
$1 combined - butter (2 tbs), garlic (4 cloves), salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese
The recipie:
1. Boil a large pot of water.
2. Chop bacon and mince garlic.
3. Once the water boils, salt the water and add the pasta.
4. Immediately after adding the pasta to the water, start heating the bacon and butter in a large frying pan. Add pepper and mix continuously until the bacon browns. Once the bacon is browned add the garlic and turn the heat to very low or off.
5. Cook the pasta al dente, turn off the heat on the bacon. Then drain the pasta and throw it in the pan with the bacon and butter and toss frantically for at least 60 seconds.
6. Mix the eggs in a separate bowl and pour slowly over the hot bacony pasta. Continue mixing frantically. The goal here is to get the eggs to coat each strand of pasta rather than scramble as it hits the side of the pan, so a slow pour while mixing is crucial. You really don't need the heat on the stove to get the eggs to cook, the pasta is still about 200 degrees F and will do all the cooking you need.
7. Once the eggs are mixed in and the pasta looks shiny but not wet top with a few shakes of Parmesan and toss to coat. Eat while hot.
This is a dish that does not reheat well, so only make what you can eat. All of the $1 gourmets had 1 slice of bread, a couple of cookies, and we had a little pasta left over. Reviews were really positive, even from two of the more doubtful participants.
