Without a doubt, one of my absolute all-time favorite meals is carbonara. Ridiculously quick to make, on-hand ingredients, comforting and tasty. The combination of soft pasta, silky, creamy sauce, peppery and cheesy, with salty hits from the bacon – it really is my idea of perfection.
This version is actually even quicker and needs less washing up – doing away with the bacon helps with that. And it’s perfect for using up any odds and ends lying around. A bit of leek adds some sweetness, broad beans would be wonderful, sugarsnap peas add crunch. Feel free to add mint instead of parsley, sprinkle with feta, stir through a leftover spoon of cream cheese… it really is an adaptable recipe. I imagine it would would perfectly with a “courgette’o’nara” too.
- 70g pasta, I favour spaghetti in a carbonara
- Small handful frozen peas
- 1 garlic clove, peeled but left whole
- 2 mushrooms, sliced
- 1 slice of ham, chopped
- 1 handful baby spinach, washed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 small handful finely grated parmesan
- 1 bunch parsley leaves, chopped
Cook the pasta, adding the peas for the final four minutes, before draining and running under the cold tap to cool. Whilst the pasta is cooking, combine the cheese and egg, and dribble in a little of the hot pasta water, beating constantly – this melts the cheese and prevents the egg from scrambling later.
Add a little oil to the same pan, and lightly fry the mushrooms and garlic clove for a minute. Fish out the garlic and add the ham. Fry for 1 minute, then add the pasta, peas and spinach. Heat until just warm, remove from the heat and add the egg mixture gradually, stirring constantly. Return to a very low heat and stir constantly until the sauce is thickened but not scrambled. Stir through the parsley and plenty of black pepper, and serve immediately.
This is definitely one of my new favorite dinners – comforting, filling, and a decent amount of green. It’s almost as good as a standard carbonara! I may have mentioned it before, but it is my aim to keep all carbonara ingredients in my house at all times – and Aldi are making this super easy with their excellently priced eggs and bacon lately. I may have been having too many BAE sandwiches for my own good… Comfort food aside, I’ve noticed the quality of fresh produce has very much improved over the last couple of years, making it the perfect place to grab a load of spring veg. The upped veg content makes the perfect for a quick springtime supper; fresh and colourful, and not too stodgy.
*Aldi provided me with vouchers for ingredients for a Springtime recipe, though as always all opinions are my own!
Are you a pasta fan? What’s your favorite quick dinner?
