Spaghetti Carbonara
A Classic Pasta Dish
As the winter nights draw in, the need for sustainable food that satisfies for longer is important. The versatile food stuff pasta is ideal for late night suppers and is quick and easy to prepare.
Guide to Pasta
Pasta is generally made from water and flour and is typically laden with carbohydrates. There are hundreds of different shaped pastas, and the budding chef will be relieved to know that dried pasta is sold at all good supermarkets, and can be stored in kitchen cupboards for several months.
The best way to prepare pasta is in a pan of boiling water until it is "Al Dente," which is Italian for "to the bite." This means the pasta is cooked but still feels firm to the tooth. Most pasta can be served with a tomato or cream sauce, usually with herbs such as basil or oregano, and mixed with vegetables and chicken can add another dimension to the dish. Try this simple but classic carbonara dish for starters.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Carbonara
This should be enough to serve two people, allow 75g-100g of spaghetti per person.
- 75g-100g of dried spaghetti
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 3-4 rashers of bacon. Try unsmoked back bacon to give extra saltiness and flavour to the dish.
- 1 pack of sliced mushrooms
Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 heaped tablespoon flour
- Milk
- Black Pepper
- Oregano and Basil (or any mixed herbs will do)
Recipe for Carbonara
Start by cooking the spaghetti until "al dente" in a pan of boiling salted water. Boil for around ten mintues or until tender.
Fry the onion, bacon and mushrooms in a frying pan until the onion is browned and the mushrooms are tender. To make the sauce, start by melting the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and mix until the mixture resembles a smooth paste. Add milk to the pan and keep whisking, then add black pepper, oregano and basil and boil gently.
It is then important to turn the heat down straight away once bubbling, to prevent the sauce from curdling and sticking to the pan. Add enough milk to ensure the sauce is thick enough when simmering. As soon as the sauce is thick enough to add to the vegetables, add to the cooked spaghetti which should have been drained in a sieve and returned to the pan.
Mix the onions, bacon and mushrooms to the spaghetti and sauce. Stir well and serve. Top with fresh parmesan and for that extravagant finish, garnish with a sprig of parsley.
Additional Tips on Pasta Dishes
Making freshly made pasta can make Italian dishes even more authentic and delicious, though this requires shelling out for a pasta making machine, and is more time consuming, plus it doesn't keep as well as dried.
Make sure the carbonara sauce is thick but that it doesn't overpower the pasta. Serve with fresh garlic bread and ideally a glass of Italian dry white wine. For those that are health conscious, brown or wholemeal spaghetti tastes earthy, nutty and more flavourful, although like brown rice it will take longer to cook.
A version with smoked salmon
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