When we lived overseas, my toddler son literally asked for pasta carbonara (ham and parmesan pasta) every time we ate at a restaurant. He loved it! So that means he’s eaten this dish in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy…you get the idea. That also means that I’ve tasted pasta carbonara in many, many European cities. Now that we’re back in America, my son keeps requesting this meal. So I created this recipe based on what I remember from eating overseas. And it turned out spectacular! Not a single noodle was left on anyone’s plate. That’s my sure sign of success. (One note–pasta carbonara is traditionally made with raw egg. But I found you can get an equally rich sauce without it. So I don’t use eggs in my recipe.)
Ingredients:
8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked al dente, according to package directions
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cooked ham, chopped
Garlic salt and white pepper, to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
Directions:
- In a large saucepan over medium low heat, whisk together milk, cream cheese, butter, and olive oil until smooth. Do not boil!
- Stir in cooked ham and hot cooked pasta.
- Mix in garlic salt, white pepper, nutmeg and parmesan cheese.
- Cook over low heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes.
- If sauce is too thick, add an extra spalsh of milk.
- Serve immediately.
