Spaghetti Carbonara: A Recipe of Comfort and Love from my Dad

By Mercedes Camacho Peterson

I learned how to make Spaghetti Carbonara fr0m my Dad. I was probably in 5th grade when I learned the recipe. Daddy always enthralled us with his story of learning this recipe of "authentic" carbonara from his Italian friend from Cebu. And so I learned it by watching, and learned it by heart.

Growing up, we moved houses a lot. From our beautiful, sprawling bungalow in Maria Luisa in Cebu where we spent the majority of our childhood we left for Manila and then the endless pilgrimage from house to house started. We must have lived in at least 6 houses in Loyola Heights, a condo in Magallanes Village and at one point lived in Paranaque. During these upheavals, making carbonara was a way to settle down in each home. We'd gather around the table and partake of the best comfort food--carbonara. I would normally make it for Sunday lunch.

And the tradition still continues--I never fail to make carbonara during special occasions especially when family and friends are around. I make it from memory because I've made it so many times and is one of the few "savory" dishes I make because my forte are desserts.

Here is the wonderful recipe from my Dad.

What you'll need:

• 1 pack spaghetti (use any brand you like and cook according to directions, al dente)
• 1 pack of Purefoods bacon ( medium pack, the round tightly packed one, add more if you want more bacon-ey goodness) cut into small pieces. I use kitchen scissors to make the job easier.
• 2 heads of garlic, crushed and then chopped finely. (Don't forget to remove the garlic peel!)
• 1 small carton all purpose cream (Nestle works)
• 1 small bar of Quickmelt cheese, cut into tiny cubes
• 4 to 5 eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/4 stick or around 4 tbsps. butter (salted)

Method:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a big wok (this works really well with big batches of carbonara) or any huge Teflon pan--I use the Teflon pasta pot where I cooked the pasta so I have less pots to wash.
2. Brown the garlic until lightly golden, then add the bacon and "render" (meaning let the fats sizzle out and brown it a bit) when it is slightly brown, drain some of the fat so that the pasta doesn't become too oily.
   
3. Add the pasta and toss with the bacon and garlic, and at this point you can add the cream and the cheese as well. Toss everything under low heat until cheese melts and all ingredients are mixed well. Be gentle!
4. Turn heat off and add the slightly beaten eggs, mixing quickly (or else your eggs will become scrambled eggs if you're not quick enough!) until homogeneously mixed.

Serving suggestion Side Dish:

Garlic Bread With Parsley Butter

What you'll need:

• 1/2 stick salted butter
• 2 tbsps. of chopped curly parsley
• 1/2 head of garlic, peeled and chopped very finely
• 1/2 loaf of baguette or pan de sal or whatever bread you have on hand

Method:

1. Soften butter by nuking in the microwave ("defrost" for 12 secs).
2. Mix in the garlic and parsley with a rubber scraper (spatula).
   
3. Spread on your bread with a spatula or knife.
4. Toast in your toaster for 7 minutes or in your moderately heated 150 c oven for 12 minutes.

Best enjoyed with family and friends and huge litro of Coke zero :-)