Let me tell you why this Filipino-style Carbonara has become my family’s go-to celebration pasta. While we all love our sweet Filipino-style spaghetti, this creamy carbonara is what I make when I want to level up our handaan.
I discovered this recipe during my daughter’s 7th birthday when I wanted something special but not too complicated. The way the creamy sauce hugs each strand of pasta, loaded with mushrooms and crispy bacon, had my guests begging for the recipe.
Unlike traditional Italian carbonara that uses eggs (which can be tricky in our tropical weather), this version creates a smooth, velvety sauce that stays creamy even after hours at the party table.
If you’ve been looking for a break from the usual red sauce pasta, this dish will make you the star of your next family gathering.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Filipino taste preferences with a creamy, long-lasting sauce
- Serves a large group (10 people) – ideal for parties and gatherings
- More suitable for tropical climates than traditional egg-based carbonara
- Uses easily accessible Filipino ingredients
- Budget-friendly with options for ingredient substitutions
- Can be prepared ahead of time
Filipino Style Creamy Carbonara (Pinoy Style)
Equipment
- Large pot (kaldero/palayok) for cooking pasta
- Deep saucepan (kawali) for sauce preparation
- Colander (salaan) for draining pasta
- Wooden spoon (sandok na kahoy) for stirring sauce
- Measuring cups and spoons (Panukat)
- Sharp knife (kutsilyo) for chopping ingredients
- Cutting board (Sangkalan)
- Grater (kudkuran) for cheese
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 1 kilogram fettuccine pasta or other long pasta
- Water for boiling
- Salt for pasta water
For the Sauce
- 250 g bacon or ham chopped (hiwa-hiwa)
- 400 g sliced mushrooms canned (kabuti)
- 2 packs 70g each Knorr cream of mushroom soup
- 1 small onion minced (sibuyas)
- 4 cloves garlic minced (bawang)
- 1 large can evaporated milk
- 2 packs 250ml each Nestle all-purpose cream, chilled (dapat malamig)
- 1 tablespoon sugar asukal
- Pinch of white pepper paminta
- Fresh parsley or basil for garnish opcional na garnisyon
- 1 cup grated cheese kinudkod na keso
Optional Sides
- Toasted buttered garlic bread
- Corn casserole
Instructions
- Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to the water and cook 1 kilogram of fettuccine pasta according to package instructions, usually around 8-10 minutes or until al dente (malutong-lutong). While waiting, prepare your sauce ingredients.
- Heat a large, deep pan over medium heat. Fry 250g of bacon until crispy and golden brown (hanggang malutong). Remove the bacon, let it cool slightly, then chop into small pieces. Set aside but keep the bacon oil in the pan.
- Using the same pan with bacon oil, sauté minced garlic (bawang) until light golden brown (hanggang mag golden brown). Be careful not to burn it to avoid a bitter taste (mapait). Add the minced onions (sibuyas) and cook until translucent (hanggang maging malabo), about 2-3 minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, dissolve 2 packs of Knorr cream of mushroom soup in 1200ml of room temperature water (tubig na hindi mainit o malamig). Make sure there are no lumps (walang butil-butil). Set aside.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan with the garlic and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the dissolved mushroom soup mixture and the large can of evaporated milk. Stir continuously to prevent the bottom from scorching (hanggang hindi dumikit sa ilalim).
- Add the chilled all-purpose cream (kailangang malamig ang cream) to the pan. Keep stirring as you bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. The sauce will gradually thicken (lalapat) as it heats. Remember, it will thicken more as it cools, so don’t worry if it seems a bit loose at first.
- Return the chopped bacon to the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of white pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. Remember, the mushroom soup already contains salt, so taste before adding any more.
- Once your pasta is cooked, drain it well but reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water (tubig ng pasta). You might need this later if the sauce becomes too thick. Add the cooked pasta to your sauce and toss everything together until the pasta is well coated (hanggang mabalutan ng sauce ang pasta).
- Add half of your grated cheese while the pasta is still very hot (mainit na mainit), stirring it through to melt completely into the sauce. This will make your carbonara extra creamy and flavorful (mas malinamnam).
- Transfer your carbonara to a serving dish. Top with the remaining grated cheese, chopped parsley or basil, and an extra sprinkle of white pepper if desired. Serve immediately while hot (mainit-init) with garlic bread on the side.
- For best results, serve within the hour while the sauce is at its creamiest (pinakamakatas). If you need to reheat later, do so gently over low heat (banayad na apoy), adding a splash of milk or cream if the sauce is too thick.
Tips from Lola’s Kitchen
- Always use chilled all-purpose cream (malamig na cream) for better thickening
- Save some pasta water (tubig ng pasta) to adjust sauce consistency
- Toast garlic until golden but not brown to avoid bitter taste
- Use bacon oil for extra flavor in the sauce
- Add cheese in two stages for better flavor distribution
Traditional Serving Suggestions
- Serve hot with garlic bread on the side
- Sprinkle extra cheese on top
- Pair with green salad
- Optional: serve with corn casserole
Troubleshooting
- Sauce too thick: Add reserved pasta water gradually
- Sauce too thin: Simmer longer or add more grated cheese
- Lumpy sauce: Strain through fine mesh or blend with immersion blender
- Pasta sticking: Toss with a little oil after cooking
Ingredient Alternatives
- Pasta: Spaghetti, penne, or any pasta shape
- Cream: Heavy cream instead of all-purpose cream
- Mushrooms: Fresh mushrooms instead of canned
- Cheese: Eden, Quezo, Quickmelt, or Magnolia cheese (Filipino preference)
- Soup base: Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
Storage & Reheating
- Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days
- When reheating, add splash of milk or cream
- Heat slowly over medium heat, stirring frequently
- Can be frozen up to 1 month (sauce may separate but can be reconstituted)
Variations
- Seafood Version: Add shrimp or crabmeat
- Chicken Carbonara: Use chicken instead of bacon
- Veggie Loaded: Add bell peppers and broccoli
- Extra Cheesy: Mix in different cheese varieties
- Spicy Version: Add chili flakes or cayenne
FAQs
Q: Bakit hindi gumagamit ng itlog (Why don’t we use eggs)? A: This Filipino-style version is adapted for tropical climate and longer shelf life. Q: Pwede bang gamitin ang ibang brand ng cream soup (Can I use other cream soup brands)? A: Yes, Campbell’s or other mushroom soup brands work well. Q: Gaano katagal pwedeng itago (How long can it be stored)? A: Up to 3 days in refrigerator, 1 month if frozen. Q: Bakit kailangang malamig ang all-purpose cream (Why must the cream be chilled)? A: Chilled cream thickens better and creates a smoother sauce.
Nutrition
The Story Behind Filipino Style Creamy Carbonara
The beloved Filipino-style Carbonara represents a fascinating evolution of Italian cuisine through a distinctly Filipino lens. While traditional Roman Carbonara is made with eggs, pecorino cheese, guanciale, and black pepper, the Filipino version emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as creative home cooks adapted the dish to suit both local tastes and tropical weather conditions.
The transformation of this classic pasta dish showcases the Filipino talent for culinary adaptation, much like our Filipino-style Spaghetti with its signature sweet meat sauce. Our version of Carbonara was born from necessity – the traditional egg-based sauce proved challenging to maintain in our warm climate, where food safety was a particular concern at lengthy Filipino celebrations and gatherings.
Innovative Filipino cooks discovered that substituting the raw egg sauce with a creamy mushroom-based sauce not only solved the stability issue but also appealed to Filipino palates that favor creamy, rich flavors. The addition of all-purpose cream and evaporated milk – ingredients that became widely available in Philippine supermarkets during the late 20th century – created a sauce that was both stable and indulgent.
Today, this Pinoy-style Carbonara has become a mainstay at Filipino parties, particularly children’s birthday celebrations, family reunions, and holiday gatherings. The dish perfectly embodies the Filipino approach to foreign cuisine: respectful adaptation that creates something new and uniquely Filipino. Unlike its Italian predecessor, our version often features bacon instead of guanciale, and processed cheese rather than pecorino, making it more accessible and affordable for Filipino families.
The popularity of Filipino-style Carbonara also reflects our culture’s love for shared meals and celebration food. While it may raise eyebrows among Italian purists, this adaptation has earned its place in the pantheon of beloved Pinoy pasta dishes, alongside sweet spaghetti and palabok. It’s a testament to how Filipino cuisine continues to evolve, absorbing foreign influences while maintaining its distinct identity and character.
This creamy pasta dish has become so embedded in Filipino food culture that many young Filipinos grow up thinking of it as their traditional carbonara, only learning about the Italian original later in life. It’s a prime example of how recipes travel across cultures, transform, and find new life in different contexts – a delicious demonstration of Filipino culinary creativity and adaptability.
