Creamy Bacon Carbonara

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring regularly, until 'al dente', 9 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water (1/2 cup for 2 people / 1 cup for 4 people), then return the pasta to the saucepan. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. TIP: 'Al dente' pasta is cooked through but still slightly firm in the centre.

While the pasta is cooking, crack the egg into a medium bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the grated Parmesan cheese (reserve some for garnish!), light thickened cream (see ingredients), chicken stock pot and a generous pinch of pepper. Mix well and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and some olive oil (2 tsp for 2 people / 1 tbs for 4 people). Set aside

In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Cook the diced bacon, breaking up with a spoon, until golden, 6-7 minutes. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until softened and fragrant, 2-4 minutes. Add a drizzle more olive oil (if needed), then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add the spaghetti to the pan with the bacon, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 the baby spinach leaves, stirring until wilted. Remove the pan from the heat (to ensure the eggs don't scramble!). 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 with salt and pepper to taste. Thinly slice the pear (see ingredients). TIP: If the sauce looks too thick, add a little more pasta water until the sauce is creamy and silky.