100g parmesan cheese, grated (plus more for serving)
1200g filtered water
20g olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
500g penne pasta
1 tbls ghee, butter, or coconut oil
300g bacon, cut into thin slices
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
300g cream, full fat preferred
1-2 tbls veggie stock concentrate
1 x 59g egg
80g baby spinach leaves
6 stalks freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
Place Parmesan cheese into TM bowl and mill 10 seconds / speed 9 and set aside
Place water, oil and salt into TM bowl and heat 10 minutes / 100 degrees / speed 1
Whilst the water is coming to temp start to prepare your other ingredients
Place ghee, butter or oil into a large pot and bring it to a light sizzle
Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to brown
Add spring onion and cook for a further 2-3 minutes and then turn off the heat
Place cream, stock concentrate and egg into a container and mix with a fork
Place the Parmesan cheese next to the cream mix
Put spinach and parsley into a bowl and place beside the other ingredients so that it is all ready to add to the pasta quickly
By now the Thermomix should be ready to add the pasta, so do this through the MC hole and then place the basket on top (not the MC)
Cook pasta according to packet directions … mine usually says 11 minutes, so I cook the pasta for 11 minutes / 100 / reverse / speed soft
Whilst the pasta is cooking get a colander ready in the sink to drain the pasta (I use my Veroma tray … sits perfectly across my sink), and a small cup measure to pour in some of the cooking liquid which you may need to add to the pasta dish
When there is only 2-3 minutes left for the pasta to cook, turn your pot on the stove to medium heat again
Stir the bacon and spring onions in the pot to start to pick up some of the sediment on the base that will have softened whilst the heat was switched off
As soon as the pasta is ready, take the TM bowl to the sink, pour a little of the cooking liquid into the cup measure first, and then drain the pasta into the colander
Add hot pasta to pot, along with cream mix, Parmesan, spinach and parsley and stir through … if it looks like it needs a little more liquid, then add some of the saved pasta cooking liquid (I usually add a little to keep the mix loose)
Switch the heat off, cover the pot and let sit for five minutes to absorb flavours
Whilst this is happening I usually clean my Thermomix bowl and put it away
Serve with more parmesan cheese and your favourite green salad
Notes
For this dish I cook my pasta in the Thermomix, whilst using a large pot to pan fry the bacon and spring onions to get the crusty sediment from the bottom of the pot incorporated into my pasta which adds a wonderful flavour to the dish.
If you don’t already have pre-milled parmesan ready, then mill more than you need and put the rest in the freezer to use another time. Whilst in the freezer it will stay free flowing so you are able to remove the amount you need, then return the unused portion to the freezer so that you always have some on hand.
Recipe by The Passionate Pantry at https://www.thepassionatepantry.com.au/ginas-pasta-carbonara/