Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara

Pasta alla carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish which is based on eggs, bacon, cheese and pepper. Traditional carbonara is often made with spaghetti, but in Australia it’s more common to find fettuccine being used. I like to add cream, chicken and mushrooms to give it a little more flavour, but bear in mind these are not authentic ingredients.

Creamy Pizza With Bacon, Mushrooms and Onion

I came across this blog with an interesting looking pizza recipe so I decided to try something like it. I am a huge fan of homemade pizza because they always seem to taste better than anything you can buy and you get to choose exactly what you want on it. I have never made pizza with a creamy base before so I was curious how it would turn out. Plus anything with bacon and caramelized onions has to be good. That’s a fact.

As well as the bacon and onion I also felt like using mushrooms, feta and a few rocket leaves. I used ricotta and sour cream in the sauce which I think worked really well and the overall sensation was quite light and tasty with just enough flavour from the toppings.

I made the pizza bases as well and they came out lovely. Thin, with crispy edges and a nice bready texture.

Tomato and Bacon Pasta Bake

This is pure comfort food – pasta, cheese, bacon and rich tomato. It’s incredibly quick and simple and great on a cold night. It also makes a good summer side dish served warm or cold with barbecued meat.

Mmmm I can feel my arteries clogging

 

• 500g of pasta (I prefer curls, spirals or shells)
• 1 can of condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 onions
• a few cloves of garlic
• a decent amount of bacon
• cheese – something melty like cheddar or mozzerrella plus something  flavoursome like extra tasty cheddar or romano (or whatever)

Cook pasta in salted water til al dente or just prior.

Fry finely chopped onion and garlic with sliced bacon until bacon is cooked and onion is soft. Season with salt and pepper if you like. Pour in soup, milk and a handful or two of melty cheese. Mix through until cheese melts and it becomes a deliciously thick cheesey hot mess. Stir in pasta immediately after draining plus a little of the starchy water.

Pour it all into a baking dish and sprinkle with other cheese. Bake at around 180C for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned – if you can wait that long. It is delicious served with a vinaigrette salad to help your palate cut though the fat, but it is equally delicious alone or perhaps with bread. I believe this dish would also be good with the addition of chopped tomato, mushrooms, chicken or a sprinkling of italian herbs. It could also be made gluten free with the right pasta.