It’s Sunday again and I have all the excuses to have a totally laid-back day and I honestly am not in the mood to cook anything. And when days like these hit me, pasta will always be our meal, no questions asked. Fortunately, my family never complains. Bryce, my three-year old kid, can finish his plate without us quarreling, whenever we have pasta. And the hubby, well, he eats anything.
I’m sharing one of my favorite pasta recipes that is quick and easy to prepare so we can all have extra time to spend with our families… and to sleep in. 
I found this recipe from Nestle Cream’s facebook page, but I tweaked it a bit by adding onion, chopped ham, one beaten egg, using one pack of Nestle Cream instead of two and omitting grated Cheddar cheese. This is my feeble attempt to reduce the calories. Hehe!
Chopping bacon into tiny bits is a lot easier when the bacon is still frozen so forego thawing (also applicable to ham). Whenever I cook, I always try to use the least cooking oil as possible so I fried the bacon on a non-stick pan without oil. It’s only a matter of seconds before your bits are swimming in its own fat. While frying the bacon, cook the pasta. Once the bits are crisp, set them aside and scoop out the oil in the pan leaving just about a teaspoon or two.
This is why it’s called quick. Pasta cooking time is usually just 8 minutes plus boiling time, about 3 minutes. So the whole 10-11 minutes is allotted for the preparation of the sauce. I think I mastered it quite well. I can cook this meal in under 30 minutes including chopping the ingredients.
Saute garlic and onion until fragrant and onion is translucent then add diced cooked ham. After about a minute, pour a pack of Nestle cream. I added 1/4 cup of water as I don’t want my carbonara to turn out too dry. If you’re freezing or refrigerating the left-over, having a milky consistency is a good idea because the pasta will get drier after reheating.
Season the mixture with half chicken bouillon cube , pepper, parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley. Bring it to a boil then turn off the heat immediately. By this time, your pasta should be done. Quickly drain it and add it onto the sauce.
While pasta and sauce are still hot, pour in the beaten egg and toss everything together. Add more parsley of you like. For some reason, I don’t like cooking carbonara without the egg. It just doesn’t feel right. Haha!
Finally, garnish with bacon bits, pasley and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with garlic bread or toast while still hot.
For more creamy and delightful recipes your family will surely enjoy, check out Nestle Cream’s facebook page.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but the photos and thoughts are originally mine.
