Southern Maryland Meats | Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara with Basil and Tomato

Topic and Skill – Pasta, Mise En Place, Chiffonade, Pan Flipping (Episode #11): This recipe is a quick one, so make sure you have everything ready when you start. Do your Mise En Place!

Mise En Place – is French for “putting in place”, gathering everything you need to prep your kitchen and your recipe before you start to cook. If you practice Mise En Place you can save yourself a lot of time and stress!

Chiffonade – a technique used to thinly slice basil and other herbs into thin ribbons or strips. Stack the basil leaves, roll up tightly and slice crosswise into thin strips with a sharp knife.

The Pan Flip – a technique used to combine food quickly and evenly over a high heat; in this recipe, the incorporation and homogeneity of the sauce is enhanced by even distribution throughout the pasta.

This recipe is designed for a serving of 2 people (maybe 3), as the incorporation of cheese and beaten egg into the dish is performed best by flipping the pan instead of stirring with a spoon. Pan flipping can be intimidating until one is accustomed to it, but once performed, it is a valuable tool in cooking as it helps evenly distribute heat throughout the dish.

Ingredients

3 strips bacon, cut into ½ inch slices
2 cups medium shell pasta – cooked to package directions on the least time. Pasta should be “al dente”.
1 cup half and half
1 clove garlic, minced
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons chiffonade of basil
2 ounces grated parmesan
1egg, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Heat olive oil in a small to medium-sized sauté pan. Add bacon and cook until near crisp. Then add pasta to pan to warm up.

When pasta is warmed through (flip the pan a bit to mix the bacon with the pasta – this will speed the heating of the pasta). Then add half and half until the liquid is halfway up the sides of the pasta. Add garlic.

Heat to bubbling. (Now things happen rather fast!)

Add tomato and basil to the pan and flip (mix) thoroughly. Add parmesan cheese and incorporate into pasta mixture until it dissolves into the sauce.

Take the pan off the burner and add beaten egg mixture. Work quickly flipping the pan until egg is fully incorporated. Do not put back on heat, and do work quickly, we do not want the egg to “scramble.”

Unload onto plate. Serve immediately.