Springtime Carbonara

Here we have yet another recipe with one of my favorite springtime ingredients...asparagus! It also has another great spring ingredient peas, but since my small farmers market seems to be lacking in fresh peas, I had to go with frozen. I hope to get to the bigger market soon so I can have a lovely afternoon sitting outside shelling peas. You think I'm joking? Last week and this week I am cooking with things in my fridge, freezer, and pantry in preparation for a cleansing week next week so I had to use some bacon I had in my freezer. I still have more bacon in the freezer, but I am hoping the fact that I actually have to wait for it to thaw out won't be too much of a temptation. I had never made a carbonara before this, but it was quite easy and I hope to do it again. I had wanted to use whole wheat spaghetti, but I only had a little bit left and not enough for the recipe, so I used the rest of some leftover linguine. I must say, the whole kitchen cleaning thing is going quite well and leaving lots of room for my cleansing stuff. Watch me last all of a day doing it. Anyway, this is a wonderful and flavorful pasta dish. The salty Parmesan and bacon where perfect with the sweet peas and the sauce was nice and creamy.

It's Thursday, but really my Friday. Do the rest of you have a short week? Do you have plans for Easter? My friends and I are doing a New Orleans/Southern themed brunch and I am super deluxe excited. I am sure I will be sharing recipes very soon!


Springtime Carbonara
(Adapted from the New York Times)

Makes 2-3 servings

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
8 ounces linguine
2 ounces asparagus, sliced 1-inch thick (1/2 cup)
5 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
1 egg, whisked, at room temperature
1 tablespoon whole milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish (2 ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon, cooking for about 5 minutes, until crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel and set aside. Drain most of the fat from the pan. Return the pan with the rendered fat to the stove top for future use.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, heat the bacon fat in the sauté pan over medium heat. Add the peas and asparagus, and sauté for about 2-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the basil, and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs and milk. Have the egg mixture, vegetables and bacon ready to toss with very hot pasta.

Quickly drain the pasta and transfer immediately to a large serving bowl. Pour the eggs and cheese on top of the pasta, and toss vigorously to coat the strands and gently cook the eggs, forming a creamy sauce. Add the vegetables and bacon, and continue tossing to incorporate them. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Portion the spaghetti on plates and ladle any sauce left in the bowl over each serving. Grate additional cheese on top if you like.