Pasta Carbonara With Asparagus & Pecorino Cheese
I enjoyed this tasty pasta dish recently when we were dining out for lunch and as soon as I tasted it I knew I had to make it myself at home. My entire family enjoys a nice bowl of Pasta Carbonara from time to time, but I’ve only made it with the traditional ingredients of pancetta, eggs, and Parmesan cheese. This version adds blanched chopped asparagus, and substitutes grated Pecorino Romano cheese for the Parmesan. Pecorino has a much bolder flavor than Parmesan which works very well in this dish. I add just a few tablespoons of cream to my eggs to keep the sauce smooth and creamy, and I garnished the top of my pasta with a crisp twist of thinly sliced pancetta. Since we are in Umbria, I used Strangozzi pasta, but any long pasta including spaghetti or linguine would work well.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 2013
Pasta Carbonara With Asparagus & Pecorino Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 Pound Fresh Asparagus Spears
- 4 Ounces Diced Pancetta
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- 2 Whole Large Eggs
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1/3 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
- 4 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 Pound Pasta of Choice
To Serve:
- Additional Grated Pecorino Cheese
Instructions
- Trim the asparagus, and cut into 2 inch pieces, cutting any thicker pieces in half lengthwise.
- Blanch the asparagus in boiling water until tender crisp, then drop into a bowl of ice water.
- In a saucepan, cook the pancetta until crisp and brown, and then add the garlic.
- Cook the garlic until fragrant, then add the wine and cook until it has been almost completely absorbed.
- In a bowl, beat together the eggs, yolks, cream, grated cheese, pepper, and parsley.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until it is "al dente", then drain and return to the pot.
- Add the pancetta to the pasta and cook over high heat for one minute.
- Add the egg mixture and stir continuously until the sauce completely coats the pasta.
- Serve in individual bowls, offering extra grated Pecorino cheese at the table.
I had this for dinner at a trendy restaurant here and it wasn’t any near as good as this looks!
I’m making this very very shortly!!!
Very very tasty, made it for dinner and we all think it is delicious. Thanks : )