Gina's Pasta Carbonara
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Serves: 4-6 serves
 

On the plate ... very easy and a family favourite

Ingredients
  • 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
  1. Place Parmesan cheese into TM bowl and mill 10 seconds / speed 9 and set aside
  2. Place water, oil and salt into TM bowl and heat 10 minutes / 100 degrees / speed 1
  3. Whilst the water is coming to temp start to prepare your other ingredients
  4. Place ghee, butter or oil into a large pot and bring it to a light sizzle
  5. Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to brown
  6. Add spring onion and cook for a further 2-3 minutes and then turn off the heat
  7. Place cream, stock concentrate and egg into a container and mix with a fork
  8. Place the Parmesan cheese next to the cream mix
  9. 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
  10. 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)
  11. Cook pasta according to packet directions … mine usually says 11 minutes, so I cook the pasta for 11 minutes / 100 / reverse / speed soft
  12. 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
  13. When there is only 2-3 minutes left for the pasta to cook, turn your pot on the stove to medium heat again
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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)
  17. Switch the heat off, cover the pot and let sit for five minutes to absorb flavours
  18. Whilst this is happening I usually clean my Thermomix bowl and put it away
  19. 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/