Filipino-Style Carbonara is a rich, cheesy, and filling pasta dish made with bacon and mushrooms. It’s perfect for the holidays or for satisfying a crowd in potlucks or celebrations!

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It’s the -ber months again, meaning for us Filipinos, it’s basically the holidays already…right?

This Filipino-style carbonara is just in time for the holidays, and something special you can serve up to your next Filipino potluck, celebration, or gathering.

As a quick note, I did make a slight variation on the way it’s prepared by making caramelized bacon using a bit of brown sugar, liquid seasoning, and salt. This isn’t typically traditional, but it tastes great -honestly. My parents couldn’t pinpoint what exactly my “secret ingredient” was, but they absolutely devoured this version of carbonara.

That being said, follow the recipe as-is. Otherwise, feel free to omit if you’d prefer keeping it more traditional.

What is Filipino Carbonara?

As the name suggests, this pasta dish was based off of the Italian carbonara which was originally made up of pecorino romano cheese, guanciale, and eggs.

Eventually making its way to the Philippines, it was only natural that locals began to alter the dish according to their tastes and using whatever ingredients were available at the time to recreate it.

Filipino-style carbonara, was thus, born, substituting much of the original ingredients with cream and processed cheese for richness, as well as bacon (or ham) for an economically-friendly option. Mushrooms, onions, and garlic were further added to make the dish filling and to provide an aromatic and umami base that characterizes much of the local Filipino palate.

Some food purists may call the dish an abomination, though I wouldn’t think it’s fair to call it so. At the end of the day, we should all say in unison that this is Filipino-Style carbonara.

While this may not authentically be an Italian dish, it’s authentically a Filipino one that all Filipinos have grown to love.

Ingredients

Pasta: Go for long pasta varieties for this dish. Spaghetti, fettuccine, and linguine may all work for this recipe.

Bacon: Most bacon varieties can work. I like going for thicker cut bacon just so that the dish is a little meatier, but go with what’s available.

Substitute: Some Filipino carbonara recipes will replace bacon with either sliced ham or spam. You could also use thinly-sliced pork belly if you prefer.

Brown sugar, liquid seasoning, lime juice: This was my own little twist to the carbonara, and while not entirely required for this recipe, I thought it tasted pretty great. We add these ingredients to the bacon until it caramelizes into a sticky glaze, similar to making candied bacon. I truly think it compliments the overall salty and savory flavors of the pasta and elevates it up a notch!

Onion, mushrooms, garlic: This will form the foundation of our sauce to give it an aromatic, umami flavor. Yellow, white, or red onions may work. As for mushrooms, I like using cremini or shiitake.

Heavy cream: This will provide the sauce with body and richness. Traditionally, you can use all-purpose creamer, which is a popular Filipino cream used for a wide variety of desserts and cooking. For this recipe, you can choose either option.

Parmesan: Freshly-grated parmesan is king for this recipe as with most Italian-based dishes. More traditional Filipino carbonaras will most likely use some kind of processed cheese such as Eden quick melt, or other types of easy-to-melt cheeses.

Chicken or beef bouillon cube: We Filipinos love our umami, and this bouillon cube achieves just that. This will bump up the umami and savory notes of the dish.

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain, and reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water for later.

In a cold pan, add in the sliced bacon. Turn the heat to medium, and continue to cook the bacon low and slow until its fats render and it begins to crisp up (this can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon).

Once the bacon is just about crisp, add in the brown sugar, liquid seasoning, and lime juice. Stir to combine just until the sugar caramelizes and coats the bacon. Set aside to cool.

In the same pan with the bacon fat (you may scoop some of the fat out if you’d like), sauté the onions until soft, about 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté until browned and fragrant, about another 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the heavy cream, pasta water, grated parmesan, bouillon cube, and black pepper. Stir to combine and let simmer over medium heat until thickened slightly.

Add in the cooked pasta, the caramelized bacon, and chopped parsley. Stir to combine until the sauce coats the pasta. Adjust with more salt to taste if necessary.

Serve warm. Top with more caramelized bacon, parsley, and freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Tips

Cook your pasta al dente: Al dente means to boil your pasta slightly under just so that it still has a bit of chew. The pasta will continue to cook in the cream sauce as it heats up and absorbs moisture.

Pasta water is your best friend: Pasta water is typically reserved for many pasta dishes as it contains the necessary starch released by the pasta to give our sauce a smooth, thick, and luxurious sauce. If you find your sauce is getting slightly too thick, pour in some pasta water little by little to thin out the sauce to your ideal texture.

Remember, the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. It’s better to keep the sauce slightly thinner before you take the carbonara off the heat.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I serve this?

Filipino carbonara is typically served during special occasions -think Filipino potlucks, gatherings, celebrations, and especially the holidays.

If serving right away, you can simply mix together the pasta and carbonara sauce together and serve as-is.

If serving for a later time, I’d suggest keeping the sauce, pasta, and bacon separate as to prevent the dish from drying out and to maintain its optimal texture.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers should remain good for up to 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.

To reheat, you can simply use a microwave or the stovetop to gently heat the pasta until warmed-through. You can add a couple splashes of water or cream to help loosen the pasta and rehydrate the sauce as well.

Looking for more tasty and festive meals? Here’s a couple that you might enjoy: