Simple & Delicious Cream Pasta
Homemade Creamy Pasta & Carbonara Recipe
Here’s a recipe for a rich and flavorful cream pasta that you can easily make at home, even without heavy cream! Enjoy restaurant-quality taste with simple ingredients.
Key Ingredients
- 200g Pasta (Spaghetti or Linguine recommended)
- 6 strips thick-cut Bacon
- 8 large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 fresh Mushrooms (e.g., Cremini or Button)
- 1/2 Onion
- 1.5 Tbsp minced Garlic
- 5 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 600ml Milk
- 2 Tbsp All-purpose Flour
- 2 slices Cheddar Cheese
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
- 100ml Pasta Water (reserved from cooking pasta)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start by prepping your ingredients. Dice the bacon into bite-sized pieces (about 1cm wide). Clean the mushrooms and slice them into quarters or thin slices. Peel and finely chop the onion.
Step 2
To create a smooth and creamy sauce base, combine the milk and flour. Pour 600ml of milk into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of flour, and whisk thoroughly until completely smooth with no lumps. Ensuring there are no lumps is key for a silky sauce!
Step 3
Now, let’s cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook the pasta according to package directions, aiming for ‘al dente’ (usually 8-10 minutes). Reserve about 100ml of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Step 4
Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a separate pan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté gently until fragrant and lightly golden, being careful not to burn it. This step infuses the oil with wonderful garlic flavor.
Step 5
Once the garlic is fragrant, add the diced bacon to the pan and cook over medium heat until it becomes crispy. As the bacon renders its fat, add the shrimp and sauté until they turn pink and opaque.
Step 6
When the bacon and shrimp are nearly cooked, add the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms to the pan. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the mushrooms soften, allowing all the delicious flavors to meld together.
Step 7
Pour the milk and flour mixture into the pan with the sautéed ingredients. Reduce the heat to low and stir continuously to prevent sticking, simmering until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. If the sauce becomes too thick, gradually add the reserved pasta water until it reaches a smooth, coating consistency.
Step 8
Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the 2 slices of cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remember to adjust the salt carefully, as bacon and cheese are already salty.
Step 9
Finally, add the drained pasta to the pan with the creamy sauce. Toss everything together gently until the pasta is evenly coated. Your delicious homemade cream pasta is now ready to be enjoyed! Serve immediately while hot.
