Spring Vegetable Spaghetti Carbonara

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5 from 1 vote

Spring Vegetable Spaghetti Carbonara

My healthier version of Spaghetti Carbonara features vibrant spring vegetables.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 355kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup fresh spring peas
½ bunch asparagus (about 12 stalks), cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces whole grain spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces Canadian bacon (2-3 slices), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pea shoots plus a few extra for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
⅓ cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and continue to cook the vegetables another 3-4 minutes until crisp tender. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice water. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until browned- the bacon is already cooked so you are just trying to get some color and crispiness with this step. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic. Cook another minute until fragrant. Remove the vegetables from the ice water and add them to the pan along with the pea shoots. Sauté the vegetables until they are heated through and the green start to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
When the pasta is done, add it to the pan with the vegetables, and stir to combine all ingredients well. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
Whisk the eggs and cheese together in a bowl. Slowly pour about ¼ cup of the pasta water to the mixture, whisking constantly. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the egg mixture on top of the pasta and vegetables. Using tongs, stir the sauce into the pasta, swirling it constantly. The residual heat will cook the eggs and it will form a creamy sauce. Add more of the reserved pasta water as needed to form a creamy sauce. Stir in the tarragon and season the pasta with salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved pea shoots. Serve right away.

Nutrition