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Pasta Carbonara

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Carbonara is one of the few pasta dishes that I know how to prepare and has always been a favorite. I guess it’s one of the most basic pasta dishes in Italian cuisine. Here are myths and important tips you may not have been aware of. And, oh. By the way, I played the teacher’s role by showing my sister the procedure the last time she was here.

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Ingredients:

1 pack of spaghetti (or penne)
a pack of streaky bacon, sliced thinly
1/2 cup of sliced hotdogs (optional)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup (or more) all-purpose cream
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
minced garlic
chopped onions
chopped parsley
button mushrooms, sliced thinly
salt
freshly ground black pepper
a dash of Italian herbs (marjoram, basil, red bell pepper, rosemary, oregano, parsley, thyme)

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While cooking spaghetti in another pot, melt butter in a pan. Add garlic and cook until golden brown. Then add the bacon and cook until crisp. Throw in the hotdogs, mushrooms & onions and cook for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat low and add the all-purpose cream, cheese, Italian herbs, salt & pepper. Mix thoroughly.

By this time, the pasta is al dente, tender but still firm to the bite. Drain & mix the beaten egg. Serve immediately topped with the white sauce. Sprinkle w/ parsley and more parmesan cheese & Italian herbs as you wish.

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No man is lonely eating spaghetti; it requires so much attention. – Christopher Morley (American writer and editor 1890-1957)

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Iska
I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.

2 thoughts on “Pasta Carbonara

  1. :-) I’ts really good. Sobra! And the instructions are easy to follow! Try it! I’ll try spaghetti naman.

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