Microwave Cooking for one – Spaghetti Carbonara in a mug!
Traditional spaghetti carbonara is a total guilty pleasure of mine – I always end up ordering this in our local Italian restaurant
Microwave cooking for one doesn’t have to be a chore. Try making my spaghetti carbonara microwave mug meal to see just how easy it is! (Full recipe and video below).
Spaghetti carbonara is a wonderfully classic recipe that when done right is a real thing of beauty, letting the eggs create a deliciously creamy and authentic sauce.
When writing my first cookbook (Microwave Mug Meals) I knew I had to include a spaghetti carbonara. So I went back to basics (here’s my recipe for cooking a carbonara in the traditional way, in fact you can also watch my youtube video recipe of cooking a traditional carbonara below).
Microwave cooking for one can be tricky but cooking pasta in the microwave is a revelation – so easy, no mess, total convenience. Combine that with this incredibly quick and easy carbonara recipe and you’ve hit the Italian jackpot of instant grastronomic gratification! Try saying that with a mouthful of pasta… 🙂
Traditional Carbonara Video Recipe
Want more Microwave Cooking for One? Check out my other microwave recipes!
Microwave Cooking for one – Spaghetti Carbonara in a Mug Recipe:
Ingredients
60g/21⁄4oz smoked pancetta, finely diced
1⁄2 clove garlic, left whole
80g/31⁄4oz dried spaghetti, broken in half
300ml/1⁄2 pint/11⁄4 cups water, just boiled
15g/1⁄2oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg yolk
15ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Ground black pepper
Method
- Microwave the pancetta and garlic on full power for 2 minutes uncovered in a mug. Remove from the microwave, pour away the excess oil, discard the garlic and set the mug aside whilst you make the pasta.
- Place the dried pasta and just-boiled water in a bowl and cook on full power uncovered for 7 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, egg yolk and ground black pepper to the cooked pancetta in the mug and mix thoroughly.
- Once the pasta is done, the cooking water will be very hot; remove from the microwave carefully, and slowly add 15ml/1 tbsp of the cooking water to the carbonara paste in the mug and combine.
- Using a slotted spoon add the pasta to the paste and stir through (you want the pasta to still be a bit wet to help thicken the sauce). Serve immediately garnished with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.
CHEF’S TIPS: I’ve developed this recipe specifically to be executed in the order above which ensures everything gets combined at the right temperatures to create a creamy sauce and not scrambled eggs!
If you can’t find pancetta you can always use smoked streaky/fatty bacon instead. I’ve not included any salt as the pancetta and Parmesan cheese are usually enough but taste to ensure it pleases your palate.
If you do want this to be extra creamy you could add a teaspoon of double/heavy cream at the end, but it won’t be Surprisingly Authentic!
