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cold weather comfort food spaghetti alla carbonara

(1 rating)
Andy59 avatar
Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
@Andy59
Wichita, KS

Ah I do love the cold weather because it gives me the excuse to make lots of comfort foods. My houseguests this week are in for a surprise when they get back from their Christmas shopping. I’ve play around with this recipe and broke from the traditional… smaller pasta, and incorporating cream cheese and other goodies into the sauce. YUMMY. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

(1 rating)
yield 3 to 4
prep time 20 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For cold weather comfort food spaghetti alla carbonara

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • 8 oz
    angel hair pasta
  • 2 slice
    thick slab bacon, diced, 3 ounces
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced, or more if you like garlic
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp
    onion powder
  • 2 Tbsp
    sweet butter, unsalted
  • 1 c
    heavy cream
  • 4 oz
    cream cheese
  • salt, kosher variety, to taste
  • black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
  • 1 c
    freshly grated parmesan
  • half & half, as needed
  • shaved parmesan, for garnish (optional)

How To Make cold weather comfort food spaghetti alla carbonara

  • 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • 2
    Gather your ingredients.
  • 3
    Place the bacon into a heavy-bottom pot, over medium heat.
  • 4
    Cook until nice and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  • 5
    Reserve the bacon.
  • 6
    Remove all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease from the pot. Return the pot to the stove (medium heat), and add the garlic.
  • 7
    Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • 8
    Add the butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, and the spices (thyme, oregano, onion powder) to the pot
  • 9
    Reduce heat to medium low, and stir on a very low simmer, until the cream cheese is fully incorporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • 10
    Chef’s Note: Now, it’s time to prepare your pasta. Get the water on the boil, and cook until al dente.
  • 11
    Chef’s Tip: This kind of dish is best served as soon as it’s ready, so try to plan for the pasta to be ready around the same time as the sauce.
  • 12
    Chef’s Note: The mixture will be quite thick at this point.
  • 13
    Add about a quarter of the Parmesan cheese, and stir to incorporate.
  • 14
    Chef's Note: Repeat by adding another quarter of Parmesan at a time until fully incorporated.
  • 15
    Add the reserved bacon back into the pot.
  • 16
    Chef’s Note: At this point add salt and pepper to taste.
  • 17
    Begin adding some of the half & half a bit at a time, until the mixture is creamy, but not overly thick. I find that I need about 1/2 cup.
  • 18
    Reduce the heat and keep the sauce warm
  • 19
    Chef’s Note: The sauce should be creamy enough to toss with the pasta.
  • 20
    Place the pasta into a large bowl and toss with the sauce.
  • 21
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • 22
    Take a fork, get a good amount of pasta, and twirl it onto a plate.
  • 23
    Garnish with some shaved Parmesan. Enjoy.
  • 24
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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