I've written elsewhere about the cooking systems I've used while paddling and camping. In a conversation with a friend recently, realized that although I linked to recipes I found elsewhere (and typically dehydrated), I had not written about the Pasta Carbonara recipe I put together for my trip last year. It turned out very well and was popular with paddling partners.
In town, carbonara is a terribly unhealthy meal, with lots of fat. That, of course, makes it fabulous for outdoor activity, especially when it's cold (as it tends to be in Southeast Alaska). Traditionally, it's made by cooking pasta, then adding a mixture of raw egg, milk, cheese, onion, and bacon bits to the cooked (and still hot) pasta immediately after the pasta has been drained. The pasta is then tossed, and the hot pasta cooks the egg/cheese/milk, which coats the noodles.
Camping out, it's possible to make carbonara the traditional way, if you're willing and able to carry raw egg and milk with you. I've used powdered eggs and milk very successfully, though, which is of course logistically easier to deal with.
Here's the recipe for two servings. I find that I eat a lot less than lots of people, but the quantities can be increased or decreased as long as they're roughly proportional--a good guideline is how much pasta you eat normally.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups elbow noodles. I like elbows because they're easier to eat with a spoon, but that's not really an issue with this recipe, so substitute whatever pasta you like. Fettuccine is more traditional and packs efficiently.
3 heaping tablespoons powdered eggs. I go with Ova Easy brand. They're good, plus I get to chuckle at the amusing pun of a name when I open the cupboard and look at the package.
3 heaping teaspoons powdered whole milk. "Nido" is what I buy. It's a Latin American product, so sometimes it's stocked in the ethnic food aisle.
3 heaping teaspoons parmesan cheese. I usually go with the stuff you buy in a cardboard can, but real parmesan is pretty durable. Other hard cheeses work in a pinch, but shy away from American or cheddar.
2 teaspoons butter buds
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 package precooked bacon bits. Go with the bacon bits made from real bacon.
Instructions:
Before the trip, I combine all the dry ingredients except pasta and bacon bits in a sandwich bag, seal with a twist tie, then store that in a larger ziplock bag (quart size) with pasta and a package of bacon bits. Obviously, it's possible to mix ingredients in the field as well.
Cook your pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, mix the bacon bits in with the egg/cheese/milk mix.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain.
Immediately after draining, add the egg/milk/cheese whatsit to the pasta. Once the pasta is coated evenly, you're good to go.
