Creamy Christmas Carbonara

Pssssttt, You! Yes, you! You deserve this. Treat yourself to this indulgent yet surprisingly simple plate of my Creamy Christmas Carbonara. Long wide ribbons get tossed in a creamy savory sauce. This is one of the best ways to splurge!

Prep:
15
minutes
Cook:
15
minutes
TOtal:
30
minutes

Ingredients

  • Tagliatelle pasta
  • ½ Cup bacon, cooked and chopped + extra for garnish
  • ½ Cup ham, cooked and diced small (I typically use a ham steak that is already cooked and I chop it)
  • 1 Cup full fat oat milk
  • 2 Egg yolks + extra yolks for garnish
  • 1 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • ⅛ TSP fresh black pepper or a few sprinkles
  • ¼ TSP salt
  • 1 TBSP fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • 4 TBSP or more salted pasta water

Instructions

  1. Dice your cooked ham, measure out and set aside.
  2. Thinly slice your fresh basil, set aside.
  3. Chop all bacon slices from your package. Place in a pan over medium heat and cook until crispy for about 5 minutes. When done, remove from heat and place on a plate that is lined with a paper towel.
  4. Add your full fat oat milk to the pan with bacon fat. Whisk to combine. Bring to a boil. Once boiling and bubbly, lower heat to low. Add in your egg yolks and whisk to combine again. Slowly add in your grated parmesan cheese and whisk into the sauce while you are sprinkling in. Sauce should be thickening and simmering over low heat.
  5. Once thickened, add in your fresh black pepper, salt and fresh basil leaves. Followed by your cooked bacon and ham. Mix everything together. Place sauce over low heat and whisk every once in a while while your pasta cooks.
  6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil your tagliatelle pasta. Cook for 11 minutes or until al dente. Once done cooking, using tongs, transfer pasta directly from salted water to the sauce.
  7. Add in 4 TBSP of pasta water to the sauce and noodles and using your tongs mix everything together. The water will help thin the sauce and make it extra creamy. If you want to thin it even more adding 1 TBSP pasta water at a time, add to your liking.
  8. To serve: transfer pasta to a serving bowl of choice, garnish with an egg yolk and fresh black pepper on top. NOTE: if you are adding an extra egg yolk on top, make sure to enjoy right away and mix into the hot pasta so it combines well.
  9. ENJOY!