Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara

It’s packed with a delicious medley of crispy bacon, meaty mushrooms, and rich, savory cream sauce that is sure to hit the spot. Perfect for potlucks, holidays, or an easy weeknight dinner.

I have crispy binagoongan scheduled next on our recipe line-up, but since I've been on a pasta kick lately, I decided to post this Filipino-style Pasta Carbonara first. It's rich, creamy, and loaded with crisp bacon and delicious mushrooms, making it the ultimate comfort food.

This Filipino-style pasta is definitely not your classic carbonara, but it still deserves its own place in the spotlight. Like our Filipino-style spaghetti and macaroni salad, it's one of the dishes we've adapted from the West to suit our Pinoy tastes. The Italian version is traditionally made with pancetta, eggs, hard cheeses like Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan), and copious amounts of garlic, pepper, and fresh parsley.

Although cured meat, such as bacon or ham, remains a core ingredient in our Filipino take, the dish has evolved in our local food scene to include a cream sauce and mushrooms. This Filipino spaghetti carbonara is easy to make for everyday family dinners, yet fancy enough for special gatherings. You'll be out of the kitchen to enjoy the company of your guests in no time!

It has a simple list of ingredients and is ready in an hour or less. And the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a large crowd!

Ingredient notes

Bacon adds most of the flavor to this pasta dish, so please don't skimp!

I usually use about two pounds and love the crisp, smoky bits at every bite! You can substitute other smoky meats, such as diced ham.

- I like to use fresh baby bella mushrooms for an earthy, meaty taste, but canned button mushrooms would work in a pinch. - All-purpose cream adds richness and creaminess for a heavenly sauce! - Parmesan cheese delivers a salty, savory boost and helps thicken the cream sauce.

- The recipe uses spaghetti noodles, but linguine, fettuccini, or penne are also great options. - 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.

How to make Filipino-style pasta carbonara

- Cook the pasta a few minutes less than the package directions, as it will continue to cook in the sauce.

- Use the rendered bacon fat to saute the aromatics and mushrooms for a major flavor boost. Save some of the crisp bacon to garnish and add crunch.

- Once you add the heavy cream, cook at a gentle simmer, and do not boil to prevent the sauce from curdling. - 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 it a bit thinner than you'd like.

Cooking tip

Save some of the pasta water and use to loosen the sauce without losing silkiness.

Serving suggestions

- You can toss the sauce and pasta together in the pan according to the recipe if you're serving it right away.

If for later, I suggest storing the sauce and noodles separately and tossing them together in a pan to reheat. - Enjoy this Filipino-style spaghetti carbonara with garlic bread and a green salad for a filling and delicious lunch or dinner! - 1 pound uncooked spaghetti

- 1 onion peeled and chopped - 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced

- 1 pound fresh baby bella mushrooms. sliced thinly - 14 ounces all-purpose cream

- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and more for serving - 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

- salt and pepper to taste - ¼ cup fresh parsley stemmed and chopped

- 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. - 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. 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. - Cook the pasta for a few minutes less than the package directions, as it will continue to cook in the sauce.

- 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 it a bit thinner than you'd like. - Once you add the heavy cream, cook at a gentle simmer, and do not boil to prevent the sauce from curdling.

Nutrition Information

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only.

Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”