Eggs and Bacon Bucatini

Ingredients

• 8 ounce dried bucatini pasta
• 8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 7 eggs
• ½ cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet cook bacon over medium heat until lightly browned but still limp. Drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. Add garlic and crushed red pepper to reserved drippings; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or just until garlic is fragrant. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool slightly.
3. Whisk one of the eggs, ¼ cup of the cheese, the black pepper, and salt into garlic mixture. Add cooked pasta and bacon; toss to coat.
4. Transfer pasta mixture to skillet. Twirl and pull with two forks to create six indentations. Bake 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Break remaining eggs, one at a time, into a small dish and slip eggs into indentations. Sprinkle eggs with additional black pepper. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until whites are completely set and yolks are thickened.* Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.