Penne Carbonara
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: Entree
Ingredients
- 3 cups mushrooms with stems, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 red pepper
- 16 slices bacon, precooked, crumbled
- ¼ cup rendered bacon drippings
- 2 pounds cooked penne (1 pound dry weight), precooked
- 4 tablespoons pure olive oil
- 3 cups béchamel sauce (recipe follows)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Clean the mushrooms and red pepper and slice vertically into ¼-inch slices.
- Set these items aside.
- Precook the bacon, until fully cooked, but not crisp.
- Save the rendered bacon drippings for sautéing the mushrooms and peppers.
- Drain the bacon on paper towels, crumble and set aside.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package directions and blend with a little olive oil after draining to prevent sticking together.
- Add the reserved bacon drippings to a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the mushrooms and peppers and sauté until the mushrooms are golden, but not brown.
- Add the bacon strips, stir well and turn off the heat.
- Add the warm, precooked spaghetti and blend all ingredients together thoroughly.
- Add the warm béchamel sauce, black pepper, chopped parsley and salt, and blend thoroughly.
- Remove to a heated serving dish, or portion onto heated dinner plates, and sprinkle generously with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Béchamel Sauce
Béchamel Sauce
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat, cook the onion with the butter just until the onions are softened.
- Stir in the flour.
- Cook and stir the roux for about 3 minutes.
- Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily until the sauce smoothes out.
- Add the salt. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, or until it is thickened to the consistency you desire.
- Sauce can be kept for several days, refrigerated.
- Cover the surface with a buttered round of parchment paper to prevent a skim from forming.