Talking about pasta, it has come a long way throughout human civilisation. This well-known form of noodle from Italy is made of durum wheat and water and dried to perfection (pasta secca) so that pasta can be boiled and eaten when needed. Fresh pasta is made from the same ingredients and egg is even added.
Creamy pasta – créme de la créme of all pasta with sauce, is essentially made of heavy cream or any thickener such as milk and cheese. Are your tastebuds ready for the rich texture of creamy pasta?
The carbonara pasta is the most common creamy pasta type. The creamy white sauce is so versatile that it complements many toppings. Chicken slices, prawns, beef, ham…you want it, you name it! Nevertheless, the plain carbonara pasta is excellent by itself without any additions.
Fun Fact: Did you know that carbonara is a Roman dish?
Carbonara was a dish ate by woodcutters in the Apennine mountains who made charcoal for cooking. Carbonara is supposed to be abundant with coarse ground black pepper bits as it resembled flecks of coal that workers worked with.
Simple and Creamy Carbonara
Servings: 4 pax
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 225 g of uncooked pasta of your choice (spaghetti/ linguine/ fettuccine preferred)
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 teaspoon of flour
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or whole as preferred
- 60 mL of chicken broth (optional)
- 235 mL of heavy/whipping cream
- 42 g of freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped, to taste
Directions:
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt and a little olive oil. Put in the pasta and cook till al dente as per packaging instructions.
- Halfway through as the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and let the mixture cook for about two minutes. Remember to stir often!
- Add in garlic and chicken broth (optional) into the mixture and simmer for a minute.
- Next, pour in heavy cream and allow the sauce to cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Duration and thickness of the sauce depends on your liking. Then, add in the freshly grated parmesan cheese, season with salt, pepper and parsley.
- Drain the already cooked pasta, and toss them with the sauce until well coated. Serve immediately.