Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

Time: 20 minutes

Salt
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard
2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
4 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking
the pasta when the water boils.

2. Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the
garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should be barely colored on
both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

3. Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite
runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs
will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese
if you like.

Yield: 2 or 3 servings.
Source: Mark Bittman, NYT, March 10, 1999,
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/10/dining/the-minimalist-pasta-from-the-pantry.html