Light Pasta Carbonara

I’m spending a couple weeks in Italy! Figured I would repost one of my favorite recipes… made with less fat and calories but still fabulous flavor? Try this creamy version regular with Canadian bacon or add marinated shrimp too!

Light Pasta Carbonara

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

12 ounces farfalle pasta or your favorite shape
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon dried basil or 4 large fresh leaves, chopped
1 ¼ cup low fat milk
½ cup dry white wine
4 ounces sliced Canadian bacon, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Extra Parmesan cheese for garnish

**Optional:

12 ounces fresh green shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Few grinds fresh ground pepper

Equipment needed:

Chef knife
Cutting board
5 quart pot with lid
10 inch skillet or deep sauté pan
Liquid and dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wire whisk
Rubber spatula
Colander
Small bowl to marinate shrimp

Whenever my husband and I go out to eat, my husband always orders Carbonara or Alfredo. We are going to be in Rome and I hear the Carbonara is the BEST!! I know that traditional dishes are often made with a stick of butter and whipping cream or egg yolks. This is just too much fat for me, so I decided there had to be a lower fat way to make this yummy dish. Of course, I first start out by gathering ingredients as this preparation doesn't take long and pre- prep ensures over cooking doesn't occur. Starting the water boiling for pasta at the same time you start chopping prep as this helps pasta and sauce be ready at appropriately the same time.

** If adding shrimp… place pealed, deveined shrimp into a small bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir well to coat all shrimp. Set aside while you prepare sauce and pasta.

Preheat 10-inch skillet or sauté pan and melt butter with olive oil. The combination of fats will help increase the smoke point of the butter and reduce the chance of burning the butter as you sauté the onions and garlic. The aromatic vegetables add a wonderful flavor to the sauce and aroma as you prepare this meal too. Sauté vegetables until onions turn translucent and creamy yellow in color to ensure they are not crunchy.

To create a roux to thicken the sauce, add the flour and seasonings to sauté mixture and stir well to blend. Mixture should bubble a bit as it will activate the gluten and thickening properties of the flour. This is the same step performed to make a basic white sauce too, which is kind of what you are making!

To create your sauce, over medium low heat slowly add milk to roux and use a wire whisk to agitate the milk and roux to become smooth. Then add the white wine and continue stirring occasionally until sauce steams and thickens.

As sauce is heating up and thickening, chop Canadian bacon into ½ -1 inch chunks. Add to thickened sauce and stir well.

** If adding shrimp, also add with Canadian bacon to thickened sauce. Stir well to submerge shrimp into sauce. Cook shrimp in sauce until shrimp turns pink (shown below) and cooked through about 5 – 8 minutes. Cooking shrimp in sauce will add a yummy essence of shrimp flavor... sure to please!

Remember meal appeal is important and color is key. Like I said, peas are my husbands favorite part of Carbonara. Sometimes I even heat extra for him to add to his bowl after serving too! Add the peas to the hot white sauce mixture and stir well to heat through for ~ 3 – 5 minutes. Sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese on top and stir again to melt. Taste sauce to adjust seasoning if needed.

Drain pasta when al dente in a colander. Place about 1 – 1 ½ cups cooked pasta into large soup or pasta bowl. Spoon Carbonara sauce over pasta and garnish with a few tablespoons of fresh Parmesan cheese… Serve with a tossed salad…Enjoy!