Spring Pasta Carbonara Recipe
4 servings • 10 ingredients
Ready in 35 minutes
Ingredients
6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 ounces pasta of choice, such as spaghetti, linguini, fettuccini, or macaroni
1 lb fresh English peas OR 1 pound asparagus
3 scallions/green onions, chopped
2-3 garlic scapes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 large egg yolks
1 cup grated parmesan
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Mix the parmesan, egg yolks, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper together in a medium bowl; set aside.
If using peas, shell and set aside. If using asparagus, snap off the woody (tough) ends of the asparagus stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus into thin wide ribbons. (The last strip of asparagus will be a little thicker than the others, but it is fine to use.) Set aside.
Chop garlic scapes into 1/4-inch pieces, and separately finely chop the scallions. Set both aside.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from the skillet. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and chopped garlic scapes and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium low, add the drained pasta, peas OR asparagus, and scallions, and toss until well coated and mixed with the bacon.
Whisk 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture, then quickly pour it over the pasta and toss to gently cook the eggs and make a creamy sauce. Thin out the mixture with more pasta water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with extra parmesan if desired.
Questions or feedback on the program? Reach out to Becca at:
