Pasta Carbonara
This is another re-introduction of one of the older recipes in the archive, which was initially posted in December 2007…Enjoy!
My friend, Benny, with me enviously taking note, has been steadfastly losing weight these past three months~31 pounds to be exact. She has made a couple of visits to my house, eyeing and begging for some of the can’t-admit-but-are-now-a-tiny-bit-too-small pants and blouses I have in my closet, which I have yet to lose hope of being able to wear again. I ain’t giving up, my friend! Shop somewhere else!
After I posted this, I discovered there is weekly blog event called Presto Pasta Night that is hosted by ONCE A UPON A FEAST. I hope it’s not too late to submit this.
Makes 8 Servings
1 pound bacon, finely chopped
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 to 2 tbsps flour
6 cups fettucine noodles, cooked
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
Heat a wide pan. Saute bacon pieces until crispy and oil have seeped through.
Add onions. Saute in the bacon oil under tender. Saute in mushrooms. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Spoon out around 2 tbsps of the bacon oil and add into boiling water used for cooking pasta.
Stir in flour into the bacon oil until lightly browned, well-blended and no lumps. Pour in heavy cream. Deglaze, dissolving the browned bits of bacon in pan.
Pour in milk. Allow to simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
Stir in mozzarella cheese. Continue to simmer and stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add in cooked fettucine. Combine until noodles are well-coated with sauce. Top with parmesan cheese. Serve hot with a side of garlic bread or cheese toast.
TIPS:
1) You can replace the bacon with grilled chicken slices. Melt 2 tbsps of butter (in place of the bacon oil) to combine with flour in thickening sauce. After sauce and noodles are well combined, top with grilled chicken slices.
Pasta Recipes in The CookMobile Archive:
Tomatoes and Mascarpone over Angel Hair Pasta
Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus Tips and Ham
Wow, that looks delicious with lots of bacon.
What a fantastic dish…not for those with the first 2008 resolution - diet!!! But I’m sure there are many who can enjoy it right away.
I’ll be doing the next Presto Pasta Night Roundup #44 next Friday - January 4, 2008. Don’t forget to check for the roundup and have a very prosperous, happy 2008!
I remember driving in the carpool lane off the 405 freeway with ate lalaine while I was giving her the recipe for carbonara. Instead of our usual “life talks”, I was sharing with her recipes that are close to my heart (and tummy). The carbonara recipe is actually from my dear mother-in-law who likes to make it for impromptu gathering. I sometimes use cream of mushroom and regular milk instead of evap and mushrooms. It takes a while for it to thicken though. For the bacon, I fry it separately and use butter and 1/2 tsp flour as the base. I mix the bacon oil with the boiling water for the pasta.