The reason I decided to make this so-called "Healthier Carbonara" was because I wanted to use up my basil. I was at Victoria Market on Friday, and spotted this little beautiful pot of Basil. I have been craving for some basil-ish dish for weeks, so I decided it was a good time to get some basil. After comparing the prices, I realized that the pot-basil and the bunch basil (no roots) are exactly the same price! I thought to myself "Ooh, I should buy the pot one, so I can eat basil any time I want!" So there I was, on a Friday afternoon, happily carrying my pot of basil home.
I am not very good with taking care of plants in general. My memories of my dead plants (primary school projects) still haunt me. With my bad experiences with plants, I took extra care and treated my pot of basil like a baby. I even asked my grocer how to take care of it. She said just put it next to my window and water it once every few days. The bag also said 'keep out of direct sunlight!', so I decided to keep my basil indoor. To my horror, the leaves started to shrivel yesterday! (Only one day after I bought it!) I was hoping it would get better today, but it looked even worse!
I couldn't let the poor basil die without contributing to the society right? So, this was what I decided to use the basil for, after looking up for recipes on taste.com.au
Healthier Carbonara (Adapted from Australian Good Taste - August 1997 , Page 30 )
330mls (1 1/3 cups) light evaporated milk
3 eggs
150g lean leg ham, cut into strips ( I didn't have ham, so I used chicken pieces)
500g Fettuccine
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Some button mushrooms
Garlic Powder
Ground black pepper
Sea salt for seasoning
A bit of olive oil
Extra fresh basil leaves, to garnish
Lightly whisk together the milk and eggs in a medium mixing bowl. In another heated pan with olive oil, stir fried chicken pieces with mushrooms until cooked. Season generously with garlic powder, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, following packet directions, until al dente. Drain well and return to the sauce- pan. Add the egg mixture, the chicken and mushroom pieces, and stir constantly over medium-low heat until the egg mixture is almost set. Stir in the basil and season with pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil and sprinkled with pepper.
Anyone has any tips about how to revive my poor basil?
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