A Recreated Recipe - Creamy Carbonara with Carnation Evap

Being a foodie may be common nowadays. This why I took up the challenge of leveling up to a foodie-cook, and Carnation Evap came in the right time in providing me the opportunity to prove that I don't just eat, I cook!

I have to admit that I already enjoy helping out in the kitchen, and in fact, I have a knowledge already on how to to prepare a pasta. However, in this case, the pressure is on. I need to come up with something really worth sharing. Today, I'm going to share with you how I came up with own version of Creamy Carbonara using the Carnation Evap.

The ingredients of this dish are pretty much easy to source. You can find them conveniently in most grocery stores. Alright, so here are the things you need:

• 200 grams of pasta noodles
• 1 bacon strip (sliced in half) for frying
• 2 eggs for poaching
• Parsley to garnish

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup of fresh milk
• 1/4 cup of Carnation Evap
• 125 grams of all-purpose cream (or 1/2 of the small carton) 
• 35 grams of butter (or 1/6 of the usual packaging)
• 2 bacon strips (sliced into cubes)
• 2 ham slices (sliced into cubes)
• 5 small cloves of garlic (2 to 3 if large)
• 1/2 of scrambled egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Note: The ingredients above are just estimates because when I cook, I usually do not use any measurements. 

Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serving size: 2 to 3 persons

You may find it weird, but I usually cook little serving when it comes to pasta. One reason for that is that I usually just cook for me and my brother (since we are the ones who are usually left at home).

Procedures:
1. Cook the pasta until al dente state is reached. Since I cook in a small casserole, what I usually do is to break the noodles into half. However, do note that I only suggest this if your kitchen equipment is limited. Breaking the pasta into half will definitely make it easy for you to cook it, but it will later on be not as beautiful as the unbroken ones. Hence, it's a battle between ease and presentation.

2. While you cook the pasta on the side, you can already mince the garlic and slice the meat (i.e. ham and bacon).

3. Put in the butter in the hot casserole. Then, put in the garlic, ham and bacon. Make them sizzle for about 2 minutes.

4. Pour in the fresh milk, followed by the all-purpose cream and the Carnation Evap. As you let the sauce simmer for a few minutes, you may already start poaching the egg and fry the bacon (either via pan or oven toaster).

Tip for the bacon: What I did was to fry it using the oven toaster, and to make the bacon extra crispy, I poured a little water over the oven pan. I just learned this as well from my brother.

5. Add the final touches by pouring half of the scrambled egg. This is for the sauce to thicken yet retain its creaminess. Adjust the flavor with the salt and pepper.

6. Add in the noodles earlier cooked, and mix together.

7. Prepare the plates, and let the creativity pour in. Use the parsley, poached egg and bacon to improve the appearance of your dish.

The finished product will appear like this. Of course, taste and appearance may vary depending on your ingredients, but I know you'll come up with something better.

If in case you are not a huge fan of egg, you may opt not to include it as well. To help you visualize how the dish will look without the egg, let me share this to you.

The difference between this and the traditional carbonara is that this is made creamier with the Carnation Evap. Plus, there is a subtle sweetness that adds an intriguing complexity to the taste. Hence, if you are looking for a sweeter version of carbonara, you may now start incorporating this evap milk to your carbonara!

Merry Christmas, and happy cooking fellow foodies! Do not be scared to try something exciting and new. Just remember that even a novice cook like me can come up with something decent or delicious even. Feel free to share your thoughts by commenting below.


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