Back when my children were younger, our whole family celebrated New Year’s Eve at my sister’s house. Like most families, we had potluck celebrations where I was always tasked to bring a pasta dish.

One New Year’s, I asked myself: “What if I baked carbonara?”

Despite my initial reservations, I went for it.

In a casserole dish, I baked a slurry of bacon, egg yolks, cheese and spaghetti. I served it to my children first, and, after tasting it, they dubbed it “bacon pasta.”

Bacon pasta has become a tradition for New Year’s Eve, and only for New Year’s Eve. Eating bacon pasta during New Year’s brunch also became a tradition. We popped all the other leftovers, like the sweet ham from the night before, into the microwave—except for the cold, chewy and rich bacon pasta—

because, weirdly enough, it was oddly good eaten that way and my kids liked it that way.

As the years went by, celebrations changed, but one thing remained the same: bacon pasta.

The perfect example of this was just this last New Year’s Eve. My children have all left the nest, and because of the pandemic, we were forced to celebrate apart from each other for the first time. The only one that got to celebrate with all of us was bacon pasta.

My daughter in Singapore made bacon pasta for her family’s celebration. She made it for the first time so well that her husband commented: “I don’t understand why anyone would order pasta in restaurants when one can make really good pasta at home!”

My son is a natural in the kitchen, while my daughters only started learning to cook out of necessity since they both live abroad. Now that my kids all live on their own, we share recipes via a “Family Recipe” chat group (which my husband is not part of).

Cooking together, virtually

I would cook with them via video call, so they can learn recipes and techniques faster. They’d often ask about lutong bahay and Lola’s recipes, which are their versions of comfort food. It really brings me great joy to be able to “cook with them.” I’m taken back to when they were young. I feel like the mom who cooked their favorite meals at home again.

All three of my kids now know how to cook, and I can say this without any bias that they all cook well—so well that my husband and I would often request our favorites from them when we see each other. Some of their recipes are inspired by me, Lola or are totally their own!

My eldest daughter makes the best lasagna, my second daughter bakes amazing healthy treats for my grandson, and my unico hijo is like a mad scientist in the kitchen.

My children all have their own lives and are slowly transitioning, or growing into their own families. Sharing recipes and cooking for them is one way I am able to connect with them on a filial level. Food is my small way of passing on a little bit of me into their new lives, as my family continues to grow.

Here’s my New Year’s Eve pasta recipe. I hope you like it.

New Year’s Eve Bacon Pasta

1 kg spaghetti noodles (cooked al dente)

½ kg bacon (sliced into 1-inch thickness)

5-6 egg yolks (whisk just to break the yolks)

400-500 g cheese (quick-melt, grated)

Ground pepper

Cook spaghetti in well salted boiling water. Drain and set aside.

Fry bacon until brown and crunchy, drain. Remove oil, leaving only 2-3 Tbsp.

Toss noodles in the bacon fat. Meanwhile, put a little noodle in the yolk to temper it then add to your noodles, tossing well. Add half of the bacon.

Lightly grease your pan with butter. Add half of the noodles, top with grated cheese and a little bacon.

Repeat to make two layers. Add more cheese if you want.

Cover with a foil and bake in a preheated oven at 400ºF for 30-35 minutes.—CONTRIBUTED INQ

The author is a mom of three with two grandsons and one more on the way. She is an avid home cook and sometimes a baking entrepreneur. She is known as everyone’s favorite Tita Chiqui, and even uses the hashtag #chiquiknows.

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