Creamy Palabok

Nestle Cream sponsors this unique and creative recipe. All opinions are my own.

If you love trying new flavor combinations, you're in for a real treat with this Creamy Palabok! It's a tasty fusion of two Filipino favorites: the classic palabok and Filipino-style pasta carbonara. It features a creamy sauce and delectable toppings for a fun and delicious mashup you won't want to miss.

What is a Palabonara?

I discovered this recipe on the Create with Nestle website, where you can also find hundreds more delicious meal ideas. The combination of cornstarch noodles and toppings traditionally used in palabok and the orange-colored cream sauce made with Nestle all-purpose cream is a creative twist I had to try.

Palabonara is the portmanteau I coined for this unique dish, bursting with the wonderful flavors of pancit palabok (PALA) and Filipino-style pasta carbonara (BONARA). Whether for a casual family dinner or a special occasion, it's sure to be the star at the table!

Ingredient notes

• Palabok noodles- rice or cornstarch noodles, either thin variety, similar to pancit bihon, or thick, like pancit malabon.
• Annatto oil- used for sauteing; atsuete-infused for the characteristic orange hue
• Ground pork- for a meaty sauce. You can also use ground chicken if you prefer a leaner option.
• Fish sauce- adds a salty and umami boost.
• Maggi Magic Sarap- all-purpose seasoning granules made with fresh onion, garlic, and other spices to enhance flavor.
• Nestle All-Purpose Cream- brings a luxurious, creamy taste.
• Assorted toppings- the recipe includes crispy tofu, fried garlic bits, poached shrimp, flaked smoked fish (tinapa), crushed pork rinds (chicharon), hardboiled eggs, and chopped green onions.

Preparing toppings

• Peel shrimp, reserving heads and peels. Place them in a fine-mesh sieve and plunge them in boiling water until their color changes.
• Wrap firm tofu with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Cut into ¼-inch cubes and deep fry in about 1-inch-deep hot oil until golden brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Get my tips on how to fry tofu.
• In a pan over medium heat, heat ¼ cup oil. Cook garlic until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Check how to toast garlic.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium heat. Add tinapa flakes and cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan.
• Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes for hardboiled eggs. Drain well and place the eggs in an ice bath to completely cool. Roll them on the counter and peel.
• Place the chicharon in a resealable bag and run with a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush. Keep the pork rinds in an airtight container and crush them just before serving, lest they lose their crunch.

Cooking the noodles

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain well. If serving the palabok later, cook them a little less than the suggested time to allow for reheating without turning them mushy.

Making the creamy sauce

1. Heat annatto seeds in hot oil until the color is extracted. Remove the seeds from the pan. 
2. Cook ground pork until lightly browned, breaking apart with the back of the spoon.
3. Season with fish sauce and Magic Sarap. Stir to distribute.
4. Add Nestle cream and simmer until the pork is fully cooked and the sauce slightly thickens. Cook on low heat and do not boil, as the extreme change in heat might curdle the sauce.

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How to serve and store

• Place the noodles on a serving platter and spoon the palabok sauce on top. Garnish with assorted toppings and enjoy with a few squirts of freshly squeezed calamansi juice to cut through the richness.
• To store, keep the sauce, noodles, and topping separately. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• The sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months, but the noodles don't freeze well. Cook a fresh batch when ready to serve.
• Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, adding water or broth to adjust consistency as needed and season to taste. Briefly plunge the pancit into boiling water to quickly reheat.