Easy Bacon Carbonara

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until 'al dente', 9 minutes. Drain, reserving some pasta water (1/2 cup for 2 people / 1 cup for 4 people), then return the spaghetti to the saucepan. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.

TIP: 'Al dente' pasta is cooked through but still slightly firm in the centre.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk the egg in a medium bowl using a whisk or fork. Add the grated Parmesan cheese (see ingredients), light thickened cream (see ingredients) and season with pepper. Mix well and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and olive oil (2 tsp for 2 people / 1 tbs for 4 people). Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the flaked almonds and toast, stirring, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the bacon until golden, 7-8 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened and fragrant, 3 minutes.

Add the spaghetti to the pan with the bacon and toss to coat. Add 1/2 the baby spinach leaves and stir through until wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the carbonara sauce and some reserved pasta water (2 tbs for 2 people / 1/3 cup for 4 people). Mix well to combine. Season to taste.

TIP: Removing the pan from the heat before adding the egg is important to stop the eggs from scrambling. TIP: If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water until the sauce is creamy and silky.