Carbonara wee!

Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday November 28, 2023 06:00

 

What is Carbonara? I’m not sure where I had it for the first time many years ago, but I believed it to be one of the most amazing pasta dishes I had ever put to palate. The next time I had it was at Mo’s Kitchen during a restaurant review and again it knocked me right off my feet.

Oddly enough, I have only ever prepared it maybe twice, yet it is a pretty easy dish. I’m yet to make pasta from scratch, so for now I can honestly say it comes together in about 30 minutes and is the perfect stress free weeknight dinner. You are in for a real treat with this one.

Packed with crispy bacon and mixed with the creamiest sauce, this recipe is a total knockout. My recipe isn’t completely authentic as it didn’t use pancetta or eggs but it worked well. True Italian carbonara gets its creaminess from a combination of raw egg and pasta water, which is a technicality I wasn’t in the mood for. When cooking with eggs, you have to be careful not to scramble them. This recipe is perfect for anyone who loves hearty comfort food, or those with egg allergies! Speaking of allergies, I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned my onion allergy. Well, I was craving this meal so much, I decided to risk it all. I thought I would be OK if I just use a small amount of onion. In hindsight, I really should have just steered clear.

This was such a delicious meal, everyone had a satisfying portion which had us all smiles. I recall my husband asking me if there is a dessert to follow up such a great meal. The question certainly got the kids excited but, alas, there was no dessert plan. Give this pasta a go. If it’s not one of your favourites already, trust me you won’t regret it. Visit our Facebook page ChellzKitchen for more exciting recipes. Also, share your kitchen stories with us; we would love to hear from our readers.

INGREDIENTS

Penne Pasta Salt Butter Olive oil 1 onion 2 cups bacon 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese 250ml cream

Instructions Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a generous amount of salt to the pot and the pasta. Cook according to packet instructions. Keep ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a frying pan on medium heat.

Add chopped onion, bacon to the pan and cook, stirring, for five minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Reduce heat to low, then add cream followed by ¼ cup of the pasta water you put aside, then the cooked penne pasta and cook on low to medium heat, ensuring that you are stirring regularly. Keep at this until the creamy liquid has reduced into a thick creamy sauce. Remove the frying pan from heat and add a good handful of shredded parmesan cheese, tossing through the pasta.