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Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara

by Lalaine Manalo last updated December 12, 2019 posted December 18, 2016 27 Comments

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Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara loaded with crisp bacon, sauteed mushrooms, and flavorful cream sauce is a tasty pasta dish the whole family is sure to love. It’s so easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights.

Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara on a white serving platter
Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara

I have crispy binagoongan scheduled next on our holiday menu line up, but since pasta dishes are trendy during Christmas time, I decided to post this Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara first.

I’m sure you’ll be glad I did! Rich, creamy, and loaded with crisp bacon and delicious mushrooms, it’s a must for Noche Buena!

Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara cooked in a skillet

Like our Filipino-style spaghetti and macaroni salad, pasta carbonara is one dish we’ve adapted from the west to suit our Pinoy tastes.

It’s traditionally made with pancetta, eggs, and Parmesan cheese along with copious amounts of garlic and fresh parsley. However, although cured meat, such as bacon or ham, is still a core ingredient, this dish has evolved in our local food scene to include cream sauce and mushrooms.

sliced bacon, mushrooms, chopped onions, garlic, spaghetti, chicken, broth, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and parsley

This Filipino spaghetti carbonara is a quick dish you can pull together in no time. It has a simple list of ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes or less.

Easy to make for everyday family dinners yet fancy enough for holiday gatherings. Sinful and delicious, it’s sure to wow the crowd!

spaghetti carbonara with bacon and mushrooms in a wide skillet

Tips on How to Make Pasta Carbonara

  • Cook the pasta a few minutes less than the package calls for as it will be tossed in the sauce for a few minutes and will continue to cook.
  • Bacon, bacon, bacon! Bacon adds much of the flavor in this pasta dish, so please don’t skimp! I usually use about two pounds and love the crisp, smoky bits at every bite!
  • Pasta tends to absorb a lot of moisture, so go a little heavy on the cream sauce to compensate for the drying out. The sauce will also thicken as it sits so make sure your sauce is a bit thinner in consistency than you’d like.

top view of spaghetti carbonara with bacon on a white plate

  • Once you add the heavy cream, cook in a gentle simmer and do not allow to come to a boil to prevent from curdling.
  • Please do not skip the nutmeg! It’s not a traditional ingredient in Filipino-style pasta carbonara but it does round up the flavors of the cream sauce beautifully.
  • The recipe uses spaghetti noodles, but linguine or penne are also great options.
Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara on a white serving platter
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3.72 from 56 votes

Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara

Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara loaded with crisp bacon, sauteed mushrooms, and flavorful cream sauce is a tasty pasta dish the whole family is sure to love. It's so easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 911kcal
Author: Lalaine Manalo

Ingredients

  • 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
  • 2 pounds bacon, chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 pound fresh button mushrooms. sliced thinly
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 14 ounces all-purpose cream
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, stemmed and chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large pot over medium heat, bring about 4 quarts salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook 1 minute shy of package directions. Remove from heat and drain well. Keep warm.
  • In a wide pan over medium heat, add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it browns and crisps. With a slotted spoon, remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
  • Discard the rendered fat except for about 1 tablespoon. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened. 
  • Add mushrooms and cook until softened. 
  • With a slotted spoon, remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and keep warm.
  • Add butter to pan and heat until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and lightly browned.
  • Slowly add chicken broth, whisking regularly to prevent lumps. 
  • Add cream. Lower heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened.
  • Add Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add pasta, bacon, and mushroom mixture. Toss to combine until pasta is coated with sauce and heated through. 
  • To serve, garnish with fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

Video

Notes

  • Cook the pasta a few minutes less than the package calls for as it will be tossed in the sauce for a few minutes and will continue to cook.
  • Once you add the heavy cream, cook in a gentle simmer and do not allow to come to a boil to prevent from curdling.

Nutrition

Calories: 911kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 929mg | Potassium: 626mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1000IU | Vitamin C: 7.4mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1.8mg
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see what you made!mention @Kawalingpinoy and hashtag your photo with #kawalingpinoy

 

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Filed Under: Meat and Poultry, Rice, Potatoes and Noodles Tagged With: bacon, cream, spaghetti

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Lalaine from Kawaling Pinoy

Hello! My name is Lalaine and welcome to Kawaling Pinoy where you’ll find Filipino and Asian-inspired recipes, cooking tips, and how-to videos. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Rachelle Alonzo says

    November 1, 2019 at 9:59 pm

    5 stars
    i really love your recipe. It’s my first time to cook carbonara, and my family really loved it. thanks for your recipe!

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      November 27, 2019 at 4:26 am

      Glad your family loved it, Rachelle!

      Reply
  2. Jane Figueroa says

    October 21, 2019 at 9:52 am

    Hi! I really love your recipes. The first one I made is the salt and pepper porkchops and it was beyond amazing! I told myself I will only trust your recipes from now as there’s so many recipes out there that is complicated and wasn’t good. Now I can’t wait to try this one!! Looking forward for more recipes from you.

    xx Jane from Chicago, Illinois

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      December 12, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Jane, you made me so happy. I am glad you’re enjoying the recipes. And yes, more recipes to come 🙂

      Reply
  3. Chebol says

    April 22, 2019 at 9:31 am

    5 stars
    Ur recipe is simple but delish.. good for busy mom like me

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      April 24, 2019 at 9:38 am

      Thank you for the 5-stars! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe and found it helpful 🙂

      Reply
    • Evelyn Santiago says

      August 10, 2019 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for your cooking video it helps me a lot for i am gaining more knowledge in cooking.

      Reply
      • Lalaine Manalo says

        December 12, 2019 at 11:35 am

        I am glad you’re enjoying the videos and find them useful. Happy cooking!

        Reply
  4. Anon says

    February 11, 2019 at 9:10 pm

    1 star
    Disappointed â˜šī¸

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      February 11, 2019 at 9:51 pm

      I am sorry to hear that. May I know why the recipe didn’t work for you?

      Reply
  5. Ermina naval saballo says

    September 1, 2018 at 5:39 pm

    Gsto q po malaman ang mga recipe nio sana mbgyan nio q salamat po

    Reply
  6. hans says

    August 6, 2018 at 1:00 am

    how did it become filipino style?

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      February 6, 2019 at 10:25 pm

      Hello Hans,

      Authentic Pasta Carbonara is made of raw eggs and parmesan cheese instead of cream like in this recipe 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jeans says

    February 16, 2017 at 3:25 am

    I really love your recipes…thank you, i just tried to cook the dinuguan for the first time. My kids loved it

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      March 11, 2017 at 3:17 am

      Thank you, Jeans. I am glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
      • Benjamin Bautista says

        February 17, 2018 at 10:07 am

        Thank you for the info. It’s a great help to cook my favorite spaghetti. Can I use seafood ingredient?

        Reply
        • Lalaine says

          February 6, 2019 at 10:26 pm

          Pasta Carbonara is usually made with bacon but I suppose you can add cooked shrimp if you like.

          Reply
  8. Ana says

    January 6, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    I think it’s not “Filipino” enough. In my opinion you should have added unique Filipino ingredients in your recipe, like lechon bits or tinapa in your carbonara.

    Reply
  9. Maricel Lacdan says

    January 4, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    i don’t know where to find fresh nutmeg, can i use the ground one? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      January 4, 2017 at 2:05 pm

      Yes, you can. 🙂

      Reply
      • Maricel Lacdan says

        January 4, 2017 at 2:21 pm

        thanks!

        Reply
  10. Rose says

    December 23, 2016 at 7:14 am

    Hello, Ate!

    Merry Christmas and have a Blessed New Year to you and your lovely family! Keep those recipes coming!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 23, 2016 at 2:45 pm

      Thank you, Rose. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones as well. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Ann says

    December 19, 2016 at 10:01 am

    When you mentioned all purpose cream, can I use heavy or whipping cream? Or is this cream in a can that I see in the Mexican food aisle? Thank you for the recipe, I’ve been wanting to make this since I had it in an Italian Restaurant.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 19, 2016 at 6:55 pm

      Hello Ann,

      Yes, I use the one in the can, Nestle’s. It’s called table cream in the U.S. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Rosemary Roussos says

    December 19, 2016 at 5:37 am

    Happy Holidays to you and your family.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 19, 2016 at 6:54 pm

      Thank you, Rosemary. Merry Christmas to you and your family as well.

      Reply

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