Pasta Carbonara meets Mac & Cheese

 

It has been a rough and tumble few days with hyper kids, snotty noses and unintended playground tours when we actually wanted to do mountain walks and visit old towns and castles. But never mind, as parents, we have been getting more and more adept at combining what we want with what the kids want. So that afternoon, it was a walk around the Parcines town, with its quaint cobblestone streets and houses and old buildings, combined with a visit to a nearby playground under a 400-year-old Sequioh Redwood tree. Then when the kids were tired and hungry, we went back to the apartment for a quick cooking session (15 mins!) and a quick lunch, to be followed by a drive to the waterfalls up on the mountain. By that time, both kids have succumbed to exhaustion and we actually had a quiet couple time (albeit in the car) talking about love, life and the universe. Gotta love these stolen moments :-) 

Pasta Carbonara meets Mac & Cheese (for Mommy, Daddy and 2 hungry hyper toddlers)

250g Pappardelle (or any pasta that holds creamy sauces well)

1 egg

50g grated parmesan

100g grated cheddar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small zucchini or a handful of frozen peas

1 large sun-ripe tomato diced into pieces as small as the zucchini or the peas

Salt and pepper shakes

Dried Italian herbs seasoning (or whatever you like and have on hand)

Dashes of garlic powder

Ready? Set. Go

Boil the pappardelle according to packet instructions and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water after draining the rest. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, set out a big bowl and crack in the one egg. Add the grated cheeses and oil and season well with salt and pepper plus whatever dried or fresh herbs you have on hand. I used my handy Italian dried herbs mix and added powdered garlic as well. Stir the savoury cheesy mixture until everything is well-mixed.

Pour the boiled pappardelle back into the pot. Working quickly, stir the savoury cheesy mixture into the pasta, stirring constantly. Add the pasta water little by little to your desired cheesy consistency. Don't worry if it seems too wet intially as the starchy water will bind with the sauce and make the pasta even cheesier and silkier. And the vegetables and check for seasoning. 

If you want, you can even add bits of smokes salmon or sausages to this dish. But I decided to stick to the vegetarian version and and it was lapped up by adults and kids alike. Perhaps it was all the running around at the playground, or the sun warming our faces as we eat, but pasta always seemed to taste better in Italy.

Buon Appetito!