Spaghetti for Breakfast

I have written about my difficulties with breakfast, numerous times. I would love to go out for breakfast every day, because there is something much more appealing about eggs that someone else has cooked. Maybe it’s all the things they’re willing to give me with my eggs that I’m unwilling to make, potatoes, sausage, rye toast, or a biscuit. Anyway, on Saturday morning I was lying in bed watching my version of weekend cartoons, (The Best Thing I Ever Ate) getting hungrier and yet dreading breakfast. Then I watched  Susan Fennniger eat spaghetti for breakfast. As much as kids love the notion of cookies or cake for breakfast, that is exactly how I feel about pasta. There was my answer!

If you are a regular reader you’re probably aware that my favorite breakfast is leftover Chinese food, and I’ve certainly had ramen noodles with leftover whatever is in my fridge too. I am not an oatmeal fan, rarely have bread in the house, and don’t eat cereal. This dish sounded just perfect, a kind of carbonara but even simpler, and truly if breakfast for dinner is a thing (and it so is) then why not dinner for breakfast?

If you’re still with me, let’s talk about breaking some more rules. You always hear about cooking pasta in plenty of water, but I wanted to use the starchy pasta water, so I used just enough to submerge the spaghetti, and when it was done I scooped it out, leaving the hot water bubbling. This dish has just three ingredients (not counting salt and pepper) and if you’re grossed out by the idea of having this first thing in the morning, it would make a fine lunch too.

While the pasta cooked I mixed up an egg with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese until it reached a thick pancake batter consistency, and added a generous amount of black pepper. I pulled the spaghetti out of the water a minute before the recommended time, and popped it into a large sauté pan, and immediately started tossing it with the egg mixture, adding a little bit of hot water at a time. I worked quickly so the eggs wouldn’t scramble, and kept adding water until the pasta was well coated and glossy. (When you make this, keep in mind the pasta will keep absorbing liquid as long as it’s hot, so make the ‘sauce’ a bit thinner than your ideal consistency.) I sprinkled on some kosher salt and enjoyed a perfect Saturday morning bowl of spaghetti and pretended I was in Rome! Of course there is nothing wrong with grating on more cheese! Would you eat this if I invited you over for breakfast, or would you just be horrified?