PAD THAI CARBONARA

(Bacon & Egg Pad Thai Spaghetti)

It is SO HARD to get a recipe out of my mom. She just…doesn’t
really have recipes. And she tends to use whatever’s around.
So one day, a signature dish of hers might have dark soy
sauce, and the next day, light soy sauce with oyster sauce. It’s
maddening, but kind of amazing to see someone be able to
adjust to absolutely anything.
I knew I had to have her pad Thai recipe in this book. But I
could NOT for the life of me get her to make it the same way
twice. Feeling defeated after a full day of noodling, I threw in
the towel and hit the couch to watch the Emmy-worthy
performances of the Vanderpump Rules cast.
Then, one morning, I heard a bag of noodles open in the
kitchen behind me. Then I smelled bacon.
She was making bacon pad Thai. Out of nowhere. And I
missed it.
I made her do it again when it was fresh in her head with the
only noodles we had left—spaghetti. OH, IT WAS A DELIGHT.
The entire world stopped. I posted it on Twitter and was
flooded with inquiries. Some asked what time to come over.
Some offered to send an Uber for pad Thai pickup. Some
asked why the f*ck we were making spaghetti at 8:45 a.m.
Eggs and bacon make it a whole lot like a carbonara, but the
Thai flavors make it pad Thai. You are so very welcome for this
beautiful hybrid beast.

SERVES 4
ACTIVE TIME / 10 MIN
TOTAL TIME / 25 MIN

1 small head broccoli

2½ tablespoons sweet soy sauce*
1 tablespoon liquid soybean paste**
1½ teaspoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
1½ teaspoons less-sodium soy sauce, plus more to taste
3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch squares
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon Thai chile powder (see this page), or to taste
½ cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
½ pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente, drained, and oiled
2 eggs, beaten
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths

Separate the broccoli crown from the stem. Trim the end off the
stem, peel it, and cut it crosswise into ¼-inch-thick coins. Separate
the crown into small florets.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet soy, soybean paste, fish
sauce, and less-sodium soy. This is your sauce.

In a wok or very large sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat
until just gently crisped (I mean, don’t go crazy; just get most of the
fat rendered), 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and chile powder and
cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, add
the sauce, and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Add the
broccoli, splash with half the chicken broth, and cook until just
tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Add the spaghetti
and the rest of the broth and cook, tossing, until very hot and the
sauce is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes (if it feels too dry, splash in more
broth or water a little at a time). Season with additional soy sauce
and fish sauce to taste.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the eggs, and toss until the eggs
are creamy. Toss in the scallions and serve.
 This is liquid gold: It’s soy sauce thickened with palm
sugar molasses and it tastes caramely and salty and like
heaven, basically. Look for Thai brands like Healthy Boy or the
Indonesian version, which is called kecap manis.

This is a chunky Thai sauce that’s like a cross between

miso and fermented Chinese black beans, with a little
sweetness. If you can’t find it, you can buy a jar of fermented
Chinese black beans, fish out some of it, and combine it with
an equal amount of light brown sugar.