I am hoping to make this for dinner tonight. After DD wakes from her nap I might head to the shops to get what I need......
Would anyone like to share their favourite recipe with me? I've been looking on the recipe websites for ideas.
Thanks :D
Printable View
I am hoping to make this for dinner tonight. After DD wakes from her nap I might head to the shops to get what I need......
Would anyone like to share their favourite recipe with me? I've been looking on the recipe websites for ideas.
Thanks :D
i have 2 that i make regularly so i'll share both:
zucchini carbonara:
Ingredients
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 medium green and yellow zucchini (i just use green)
1 pound penne
4 large free-range or organic egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 good handfuls freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
12 thick slices pancetta or lean bacon, cut into chunky pieces
A small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme)
Optional: a few zucchini flowers
Before you start cooking, it's important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting pan so you can give the pasta a good toss.
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions.
To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a very large frying pan (a 14-inch is a good start - every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchini is coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.
It's very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you'll scramble the eggs.)
Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straightaway. While you're tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you've managed to get any zucchini flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.
simple carbonara:
Ingredients
500 g fettucine
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cream
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
20g butter
250g bacon, rind removed, cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 spring onions, finely chopped
Method
1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the fettucine and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until just tender.
2. Whisk together the eggs, cream and Parmesan and season generously with salt and cracked black pepper.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the bacon strips and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Add the garlic and spring onion and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
4. Drain the pasta, and transfer to a large serving bowl. While the pasta is still hot pour in the egg mixture and toss well to combine (the heat from the pasta should be sufficient to cook the egg). Add the bacon mixture and toss through the pasta. Season to taste with cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
i sometimes add peas to this one tastes so good
oohhh yum!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share!! :D
my pleasure :D i love food and cooking so always happy to share
Mrs S- We havethe zucchinni pasta carbonara at least once a fortnight.Basically The same recipe as you but without the eggs.
It is so yummy! :)
Enjoy your dinner Shanti :)
Use this once a week. My kids love it and it takes less than 30min to prepare. It's from the ABC program Consuming Passions that was on a couple of years ago, in Ian Parmeter's words..Bliss!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 4-6
1 packet spaghetti (500g)
Pinch nutmeg
8 slices of bacon (cut into strips)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1-2 tbsp cream
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
2 cups broccoli florets lightly blanched
in boiling water for two minutes
and drained (optional)
Cook the spaghetti in boiling water with a grating of nutmeg.
While the pasta is cooking, crisp the bacon in a large frying pan. Pour off excess bacon fat and turn down the heat. Add the butter and oil and stir through.
In a large bowl, whisk two whole eggs and egg yolks, then stir in the cream, black and white pepper, the grated parmesan and parsley.
Once the pasta has cooked, drain and toss into the pan with the bacon and turn the heat back up to medium.
When the spaghetti has started to steam, remove from the heat and pour over the egg mixture.
Add some broccoli if you wish and stir through, until the egg mixture has a smooth consistency.
Add some more parmesan cheese and parsley and serve onto a warm bowl, with a side salad.
Wine suggestion: Pinot Noir
I make this one all the time too, it's delicious!:
I have a healthier version of cabonara which I made for the first time last night, it was delicious!
Preparation Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
15 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
375g dried fettuccine pasta or penne pasta
250g short cut bacon diced
500g button mushrooms, halved
1 onion diced
5g reduced-fat dairy spread
40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
560ml (21/4 cups) skim milk
1/4 cup of philadelphia cooking cream
30g (1/3 cup, lightly packed) coarsely grated Bega So-Light Vintage reduced-fat cheddar
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
Shaved parmesan, to serve
Method
Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon, onion and mushroom and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a plate.
Melt the spread in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until combined. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in milk and cream until combined. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Add the cheddar and shredded parmesan and stir until melted.
Add the pasta mixture and the bacon mixture to the pan and stir until combined. Divide among serving bowls. Season with salt and pepper and top with shaved parmesan to serve.