Pasta Carbonara

Thursday evening, beginning to wind down to the weekend after four solid days of dissertation-writing morning to night, and I needed something quick and comforting (but a little bit summery!). So what did I have left from the last three days which could constitute another meal? Prosciutto, eggs, mushrooms, cream, and spring onions. Add to that a grating of parmesan and some pasta and I had myself a fab pasta dish!! Granted, I couldn't actually find any spaghetti on my overflowing shelf, but I did find something similar, a type of ribbon pasta from Asda's 'Extra Special' range (I'm so easily won over by novelty value!). 
If you're in a hurry (trying to fit another few hours of studying into the day?) this is amazing - in the time it takes to cook the pasta, the sauce will be ready to go and, as is the magic of carbonara, the heat of the pasta cooks the sauce in the time it takes to mix the two together and plate up! Perfetto.

Thursday - Pasta 'Carbonara'

1 serving any variety of ribbon pasta

4 button mushrooms, quartered

2 slices prosciutto

1 tbsp single cream

1/2 egg (left from making the gnocchi, or a whole egg if not)

1 tbsp grated parmesan

black pepper

1 spring onion, sliced thinly

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil.

Heat a frying pan on a high heat and add the prosciutto, fry until golden on each side and plenty of fat has been released. Remove prosciutto from pan and set aside.

Add mushrooms to bacon fat in pan and fry until golden.

As soon as the water is at the boil, add the pasta an cook according to packet instructions.

In another pan, warm the cream through, and add the cheese, spring onion and mushrooms. Crumble the fried prosciutto into the cream mix, and remove from heat.

When the pasta is cooked, add the egg to the cream mix, and use pasta tongs to add the pasta to the sauce, trying to keep as much pasta water clinging to the pasta as possible. Use the tongs to toss the pasta in the sauce and fully coat it. 

Once the pasta is coated and the mushrooms and prosciutto are evenly distributed through the pasta, plate up, and serve with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.