So this is it everyone! We are all rested and enjoyed a great time with our families and friends over the holidays. If you happen to live in South Africa – I am sure there will be more than a few of you driving back from the coast. I am sure the roads will be hectic as all the Valies make their way back to Gauteng.
I was fortunate enough not to spend all my time on the roads during our break, and we ended up having an awesome New Years spent with a few friends at Hartebeespoort Dam, 15 minutes from where we live in Fourways.
Some people might be glad or even relieved to be back at home after their break, you even get people that can’t wait to get back – like my mom – but for me it is totally the opposite. I really wouldn’t mind spending more time in the pool with my little boy, who has finally found the courage to swim on his own with his little inflatable armbands.
And after indulging in sweets and crisps, meat and bread and lots of potatoes and puddings and the list just goes on and on, I simply have to get back to gym and on a “better” eating regime. The last meal before we left had to be a comforting one, and no other ingredient like pasta gives me more comfort.
This recipe of Bacon and Mushroom Carbonara was the perfect meal to end off our holiday, a last little treat before all the carbs are banned from my pantry!
You can tweak this recipe to your liking; if you don’t like mushrooms for instance you can just leave it out. This Carbonara sauce is a combination of parmesan cheese, eggs and cream and is definitely a decadent sauce to accompany beautifully cooked fettuccini and crispy smoky bacon with flavorsome mushrooms.
| Prep Time | 10 min |
| Cook Time | 20 min |
| Servings | people |
- 500 gr fettuccine pasta uncooked
- 10 ml olive oil
- 250 gr bacon diced
- 5 ml olive oil
- 2 cups mushrooms chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 large egg yolks
- 125 ml fresh cream
- 125 gr parmesan grated and some to serve
- salt and black pepper to season
- parsley to garnish
Ingredients
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- First off, add water to a pot, get it boiling and add the pasta to the boiling water with 10 ml olive oil. Give it a stir and let it cook until al dente. Remove from stove, drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add olive oil and grill bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the mushrooms and the garlic, and fry them in the bacon fat until the mushrooms start to lose its moisture. Remove and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cream and some parmesan together.
- Add all the ingredients with the mushrooms in the saucepan, and cook while stirring for another few minutes.
- The sauce should start to thicken and cook through, remove from stove when the desired thickness is reached.
- Serve with more grated parmesan, season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
