linguine carbonara

okay, okay. this is spaghetti, but i would have used linguine if i'd had it. i also would have used pancetta and prosciutto instead of bacon if i'd planned ahead. but who doesn't love bacon? mark and i have a running joke about the 'carbonara brick' he made me while we were dating. brick being the operative word. the day before the triathalon he wanted to carbo-load (oh the terms of athletes) so i pulled out one lidia's cookbooks and decided on this, and make no mistake, though it doesn't look like much, it was fabulous. i would definitely half it next time, but the leftovers are pretty good.

6 oz thick cut bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
2 large yellow onions, quartered and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 cups hot chicken stock, or as needed (you can substitute it for 1 1/2 cups pasta water)
1 pound linguine
3 egg yolks 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
coarsely ground black pepper

bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. cut bacon into 1/4 inch slices and cook in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned but still soft in the center. about 6 minutes. the amount of fat in the skillet will vary depending on the bacon. if there is more than 3 to 4 tablespoons, pour off the excess. if there is less, add olive oil to measure 3 to 4. add the onions and cook until wilted but still crunchy, 4 to 5 minutes. add the stock, bring to a boil, and adjust the heat to a lively simmer. cook until the liquid is reduced by about half.
meanwhile, stir the linguine into the boiling water and cook until done. ladle off about a cup of the pasta water. add drained pasta to the sauce and bring it to boil, stirring to coat the pasta. check for salt, and add enough water to make enough sauce to coat the pasta generously. remove from heat and add the egg yolks, one at a time, tossing well after each. the heat from the noodles will cook them. add the grated cheese and black pepper, tossing well and serve immediately.