The Real Spaghetti "Al Carbonara"

Ingredients
• 1 ½ medium Certified Extra Sweet™ Vidalia® onions (about 3 cups), sliced into ¼ inch thick strips
• 4 ounces of Italian air cured ham (Prosciutto), sliced into ¼ inch thick strips
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound of thick spaghetti
• 1 bundle of fresh basil
• 4 eggs
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation
Sauce:
Using a large pan, sauté the onions slowly in ¼ cup of olive oil until they start to caramelize. The onions should be completely cooked and brown (not black). Then season with salt and pepper to taste. Next, add the strips of ham. Stir the ingredients and then take the pan off the heat and stop the cooking process by adding the rest of the olive oil (½ cup). By adding the olive oil at the end of the frying process all of the good taste and healthy aspects of the oil will not get burned away.

Note: The sauce should have a strong taste. The eggs added at the end of the recipe will temper the flavor.

Spaghetti:
Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Drain it and let it sit in the strainer for about 2 minutes to allow the excess steam to dissipate. The spaghetti should still be warm when added to the sauce. Next, cut the basil in strips and whisk the eggs.

Bringing it together:
Warm up the sauce, add the basil and mix in the warm spaghetti. Stir to ensure the onions and ham are evenly distributed. The mixture should be hot. Remove the pan from the heat and fold the eggs into the spaghetti. The eggs should thicken but not set. If it is too runny put the pan back on the burner on medium heat and stir until it thickens. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings