Festive Tuna Carbonara
‘Tis the holiday season once more, and nothing gets people more hyped up for the festivities than good food! Families and friends alike can’t wait to gather around a large table, mouths watering and stomachs growling as they stare down at the feast awaiting them! This year, don’t hesitate to bring some of your favorite…
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‘Tis the holiday season once more, and nothing gets people more hyped up for the festivities than good food! Families and friends alike can’t wait to gather around a large table, mouths watering and stomachs growling as they stare down at the feast awaiting them! This year, don’t hesitate to bring some of your favorite dishes back! But if you’re looking for a new and exciting spin on the holidays, this might be for you! Combine an oldie but goodie with your everyday pantry treasures, and you have yourself our festive tuna carbonara!
Festive Tuna Carbonara
When it comes to pasta, carbonara’s a tough contender for all-time favorite. Arguably one of spaghetti’s oldest rivals, this is a staple at kiddie parties not only in the country, but around the world. It can’t be helped; it’s just so simple, yet so effective! What’s more satisfying than perfect, al dente pasta noodles in a creamy, mushroom-y sauce, as well as tender, juicy bits of bacon? This yummy dish just makes any day special—holiday or otherwise. And when you make your tuna carbonara, it just makes your perfect pasta dish all the more exceptional.
Carbonara lovers usually fall under one of two camps. On one side, you have the people who swear by the original, Italian rendition of this treat. In Italian carbonara, no cream of any sort is necessary! The dish consists solely of eggs, cheese, cured pork and black pepper. Ingredients sound simple enough, sure—but taken together, the flavors of this Italian favorite cannot be understated! For those who like a lighter approach to their pasta, Italian carbonara is key.
But for those who want a heartier and more filling version, this is where your cream comes in! Filipino carbonara, and carbonara in other countries around the world, employ cream when making this one of a kind pasta dish. Today, we’ll be utilizing a pack of Knorr cream of mushroom mix! This savory, umami taste will be a great complement to the other ingredients, particularly the saltiness and distinctness of your tuna.
What to serve with your festive tuna carbonara
Tuna Carbonara is tasty for sure, but remember: it’s only one on the large spread of dishes you and your family will be enjoying! If you’re stumped on ideas of what to serve with your pasta, we’ve got you covered!
Garlic Bread
Even at restaurants, your pasta dish isn’t complete without a piece or two of garlic bread. The festive tuna carbonara you serve at home, then, shouldn’t be any different! Garlic bread is easy to make, and its buttery, garlicky taste is so easy to fall in love with. It makes the perfect partner to your tuna carbonara and will bring out the already delicious flavors even more!
Marinated Grilled Porkchops
Now that you have your pasta, it’s only right that you have a hearty meat to serve alongside it! These marinated grilled pork chops will certainly do the trick. With a marinade of limes, garlic, and Knorr liquid seasoning, your cuts of meat will be equal parts salty, sweet, tangy, and delicious! The smoky flavor of your pork chop will cut through your creamy carbonara easily, making for a perfect combo of flavors.
Baked Salmon
But if you want a fish main, then you can’t go wrong with this baked salmon! Rich, cheesy, and scrumptious, this baked salmon is another holiday favorite. Your tuna carbonara will be all the more enjoyable when you have a bite of it alongside this indulgent and satisfying entree.
Now that you know what to serve alongside it, let’s start on that festive tuna carbonara! Turn on those holiday tunes and let’s get cooking!
How to Make Festive Tuna Carbonara
The first step would be to make the pasta for your tuna carbonara. You can use any kind of pasta noodles you prefer, but I highly recommend a pack of fettuccine. After cooking the pasta for as long as the instructions say, separate your pasta from the pasta water and set it aside. Then, in a pan, add your slices of bacon and cook until crispy. Once they’re as crispy as you’d like, set them aside. Also, it’s key to remove half of the bacon far to keep for later, while leaving the other half on the plate.
Next, we get started on your tuna carbonara sauce. Combine butter and bacon fat on the pan, then heat it up to melt the former. Once the mixture gets hot enough, you can add your onions and garlic. Sauté them both until the onions soften, after which your tuna now goes in! One can of this delicious, chunky fish will do. Cook your fish for about a minute.
Now, combine your Knorr cream of mushroom mix with one and a half cups of water. Mix it well to ensure that you get all of those delicious mushroom flavors. Once you’ve incorporated it thoroughly, pour the mixture into a pot and bring it to a boil. Add your bell pepper for extra crunch and taste, half of your parsley, and half of your Parmesan cheese. Again, stir all these components until you’ve blended them all well enough. Toss in your past and make sure to coat it in that absolutely mouthwatering sauce! If you feel like it’s getting a bit too thick, you can add some pasta water to thin out that rich, creamy goodness.
When you’ve finished cooking, arrange your tuna carbonara in a pasta bowl. Top with the other crispy bacon pieces you’d set aside, and the rest of your parsley and parmesan. Share and enjoy!
Your holidays will never be as memorable — or delicious — as they will be with this festive tuna carbonara! Let us know what you and your family thought of this perfect pasta delight!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!
Festive Tuna Carbonara
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tuna canned
- 4 strips bacon chopped
- 62 grams Knorr cream of mushroom mix
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1 yellow onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons parsley minced
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups water
- 12 ounces fettuccine
Instructions
- Boil water and add some salt. Cook the pasta based on package instructions. Separate the pasta from the pasta water. Set aside.
- Heat a pan. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Also remove half of the bacon fat and keep it for later use while leaving the other half on the pan.
- Combine butter and bacon fat on the pan. Heat the pan and let the butter melt.
- Once the butter and bacon fat mixture get hot enough, sauté onion and garlic until the onion softens.
- Add the tuna. Cook for 1 minute.
- Combine Knorr cream of mushroom with 1 ½ cup water. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the pot and let it boil.
- Add bell pepper, half of the parsley, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Stir.
- Add the fettuccine. Arrange until well blended. Note: add pasta water to make the sauce thinner, if needed.
- Arrange the tuna carbonara on a pasta bowl and top with crispy bacon, parsley, and Parmesan.
- Serve. Share and enjoy!
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