Yummy light pasta

I have not had pasta with a Carbonara sauce before and I think this recipe is slightly different than the traditional way of making the carbonara sauce. Mostly because I have heard that it has more calories and grams of fat than most people should eat in a day. I'm not saying the recipe below is low fat, but it doesn't seem to bad :o) I did add chopped red bell pepper and onion to the veggie mixture. I also added a handful of shrimp cause the hubby likes to have a protein with dinner.

Adding the raw egg into the hot pasta was a little scary. I didn't want to have scrambled eggs in my pasta or consume raw eggs!! But as soon as I added the egg, I mixed it up well, added in the veggies, grated Parmesean cheese, then stirred well again. The sauce was light and flavorful! if you don't have enough sauce then you can add a little of the pasta water to help thicken the sauce as well as give you a little more. I would only add about 2 tablespoons worth so you don't lose the flavor.

Springtime Carbonara



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- forgot to thaw :o) it worked out okay, just need to cook a few more minutes than it states

8 ounces linguine

2 ounces asparagus, sliced

1-inch thick (1/2 cup) 5 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin- I didn't have any, so it was left out. I bet this adds a nice freshness to the dish

1 egg, whisked, at room temperature (I used one egg and one egg yolk... my egg was kind of small)

1 tablespoon whole milk - I used low fat

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.



Egg mixture into the noodles

Mixing Bowl

Serving Bowl