There are moments when you are grateful for your spouse’s willingness to sacrifice. I had this happen at our last meal in Tuscany.

I had been wanting pizza. But for some reason we hadn’t had the chance to enjoy it yet. Being our last day in Tuscany I found a restaurant called Pizzeria Ristorante. Everyone in our group was happy to give this place a try.

The first plus was they had their own parking lot. It didn’t take long to discover that parking is the most sought after real estate in Tuscany. I even took photos from this parking lot with a view!

I was anticipating this meal most until we were seated. The friendly server announced, “No pizza!”

Wait, what? This is a restaurant known for its pizza and you say, “No, pizza?!”

It was sadly true.

I perused the menu for another option. Risotto! I love risotto, and they offered a fish risotto. I asked the server, “What kind of fish is with the risotto?”

She replied, “Fish!”

I took the chance and ordered. Tom ordered a more certain dish—pasta carbonara.

When my food arrived it wasn’t “fish”; it was mussels and clams and octopus mixed in with risotto. I was more than disappointed. I can’t stand the texture of these types of seafood. I knew it wouldn’t be easy explaining my inability to eat this food to our broken-English server—I wanted to cry.

Then Tom offered to switch with me—his Pasta Carbonara for my “Fish” risotto. He is the best! And he had just said how much he loved this pasta! He wanted me to enjoy this meal since I still wasn’t getting the pizza I desired.

He is amazing like that; Wanting to make me happy even if he has to sacrifice what he enjoys.

Of course I had to try making this dish once we got home. It was my way of thanking him for the way he cares for me.

I am pleased to say he loved my version and so did I!

In America most restaurants make the carbonara sauce using cream and cheese. But in Italy there is no cream. The creaminess is created using egg yolks and stirring them in the pasta with the handle of a wooden spoon until it emulsifies into this creamy sauce.

Add pancetta and grated Pecorino Romano cheese for the finishing touches. This will now be a new staple in our home—the best souvenir.

If you would like to try this too, I used this recipe from the Recipe Tin Eats blog. It was so easy and made my husband happy from the inside out!

Buon Appetito!