Simple Backpacking Carbonara
Easy and delicious, this Simple Backpacking Carbonara is a great addition to your backpacking meal list! Using whole egg powder, you don’t have to worry about handling raw eggs in the backcountry but can still make a fresh and ridiculously tasty pasta dish!
Whenever we head out for a backpacking trip, I find I always gravitate to pasta dishes, especially when I’m buying pre-made freeze-dried meals. I think I find that the texture is the best upon rehydrating. And who doesn’t love a good pasta dish when in the backcountry? It’s comforting, warm, and usually very filling. All the things you’re looking for after a big day of activity.
So whenever I’m trying to think of new homemade backpacking recipes, I also tend to gravitate towards recreating my favourite pasta dishes. And so, that’s how we’ve come to this simple backpacking carbonara. It’s simple, it’s delicious, not much more I need to say.
Here’s what you need:
Ingredients
Spaghetti or spaghettini noodles - I like to use spaghettini because they’re slightly thinner and cook a smidge faster than spaghetti or fettuccini. I also find that they take up the least space when packing them vs a bulkier noodle like rotini, penne, etc.
Whole Egg Powder - this is the key ingredient to get that “fresh” style carbonara without having to pack in raw eggs. I used Happy Yak’s product but use whatever brand you can find! Typically you need to whisk the powder with a little water, giving you a texture similar to raw eggs, which you can then either cook like scrambled eggs or in this case, use for the carbonara sauce.
Bacon Bits - to give you a flavour and texture most similar to freshly cooked bacon, use commercially produced real bacon bits that don’t need to be refrigerated, like these. I don’t recommend bringing in raw bacon and cooking it in the backcountry unless you have some way to safely dispose of the extra bacon grease afterwards, otherwise you may have a few friendly (or not so friendly) critters visiting your camp in the middle of the night.
Parmesan Cheese - essential if you ask me. Parmesan brings in a flavour complexity to this dish and adds a whole bunch of joy. Again, you can bring in commercially shelf stable options or grate a small container of fresh parm at home and bring this with.
Salt and Pepper - just to taste!
Instructions
Cook the pasta to al dente, then strain and leave a little pasta water in the pot with the noodles (about 2 Tbsp, ~30mL).
In a small bowl, mix the egg powder with a little water until smooth (or according to package instructions), add salt and pepper, and then add immediately to the warm pasta and stir well over low heat until the sauce is smooth and silky. Then stir in the parmesan cheese and bacon.
Yes, it’s really that simple.
More Backpacking Recipes
Simple Backpacking Carbonara
Ingredients
- 300-400g spaghettini noodles
- 50g whole egg powder (equivalent to ~5 eggs), prepared according to package instructions
- 1/4 cup real bacon bits
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente, then strain and leave a little pasta water in the pot with the noodles (about 2 Tbsp, ~30mL).
- In a small bowl, mix the egg powder with a little water until smooth (or according to package instructions), add salt and pepper, and then add immediately to the warm pasta and stir well over low heat until the sauce is smooth and silky.
- Add bacon bits and parmesan cheese, stir, and enjoy!
