Chopped: Using What You Have

I am a big proponent of using what you have around.  When I got out of work today, I was talking to a foodie friend about what he was making for dinner.  He and I were both in the same boat.  Neither of us had anything in our kitchen that looked like it could be made into a cohesive meal.  We started joking about the Food Network show, Chopped.  So we decided to embark on a journey to see what we could make for dinner with random items in our kitchens.

His meal was significantly more creative than mine.  He definitely would have been the Chopped Champion.  He made this crazy kale, oregano, and swiss cheese omelette on french toast with maple syrup.  He said it was delicious.

Me?  I made my Italian go-to food:  My own spin on Carbonara sauce.  I know that die-hard chefs will yell at me that this isn't a true Carbonara sauce.  Real Carbonara sauce involves pancetta and eggs, and does not have heavy cream or peas.  I love pancetta, but I'm not an egg fan.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Alfredo sauce.  I also believe that every dish needs to have a green of some sort.  So, my version is more of a Bacon Alfredo, but I'm going to call it Carbonara because I think it sounds fancier.

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Custom Carbonara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 bag of your favorite Gluten Free pasta
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Garlic (sliced)
1 pint of Heavy Cream
6 slices of thick cut bacon (Hormel)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 cup of frozen baby peas
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, boil your water, adding in a tablespoon of Olive Oil to prevent the pasta from sticking to itself.
Add the pasta right away because GF Pasta is usually rice-based and takes longer to cook than wheat pasta.  By adding it to the water right away, you allow the water to start soaking in while it is heating up.
You want to time this so your pasta is almost done when you start making the sauce.  The sauce should only take about 5 to 6 minutes to complete.
I usually prepare all of the ingredients while the pasta is starting to cook (cutting the onions, grating the cheese, measuring the other ingredients). 

Heat a saucepan over medium heat.
Add in the olive oil and onions.
Saute the onions in the olive oil until they are translucent.
While they onions are cooking, cut the bacon into small chunks and saute until bacon is at your preferred crispiness.
You may choose to drain the bacon grease out of the pan, or leave it in for added flavor (I usually keep it).
Add in the frozen peas and cook until they're mostly thawed.
Add in the garlic and saute for a minute to release the flavor.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the Heavy Cream.
Add the salt and pepper to taste.
Slowly bring the Heavy Cream to a simmer.
Once the cream is simmering, slowly whisk in the grated cheese, allowing it to dissolve.
Keep stirring to prevent the cheese from clumping and sticking to the pan. 

Strain your pasta and add it directly to the sauce, folding it on itself to allow the pasta to coat evenly.
Serve family style with extra grated Romano on the side.