BLT Pasta Carbonara

Description

The addition of summer tomatoes and spinach to this traditional dish brings things to a whole new level. The trick to the recipe is preparation, have all the ingredients ready to go as it comes together as quickly as it takes to boil the pasta.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ pound sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 13 ½ ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 bunch fresh spinach, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook
  2. stirring occasionally until crisp and fat has rendered
  3. 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour bacon fat into a small bowl and set aside
  4. but do not wash the skillet.
  5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
  6. Mix Parmesan cheese
  7. eggs
  8. egg yolk
  9. and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper together in a bowl.
  10. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water
  11. stirring occasionally
  12. until tender yet firm to the bite
  13. about 8 minutes. Drain into a colander set over a large
  14. heatproof bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and pour the rest out
  15. keeping the now-heated bowl in place.
  16. Return 1 teaspoon reserved bacon fat to the large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant
  17. about 30 seconds. Cook 30 seconds more and add tomatoes. Cook
  18. stirring occasionally
  19. until heated through but not falling apart
  20. about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach.
  21. Add cooked bacon
  22. cooked tomato mixture
  23. and cooked pasta to the heated bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water into the egg mixture. Pour this over the pasta mixture in the bowl and toss for 3 minutes. Thin sauce if necessary by adding additional reserved cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Servings: 6

Leave a Comment