Spring Carbonara with Peas: A Quick Pasta Dish

This Spring Carbonara is designed for evenings when you crave a comforting dish with a touch of seasonal freshness. It’s a lighter, vibrant interpretation of a Roman classic, enriched with delightful seasonal ingredients. Tailored for busy weeknights, this recipe boasts minimal active preparation time, allowing you to savour a delicious, stress-free meal. The addition of sweet garden peas, lemon zest, and fresh mint elevates the aromatic profile, making it a superb choice for your everyday dining table, bringing a taste of spring to your plate.

Quick Overview

• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• Cooking Time: 18 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200g) spaghetti or fettuccine
• 2.8 oz (80g) streaky bacon or guanciale, diced
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 large whole egg
• 1.8 oz (50g) Pecorino Romano, finely grated, plus extra for serving
• 5.3 oz (150g) fresh or frozen garden peas
• Grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
• A small bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
• Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
• Coarse sea salt for the pasta water

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 5 fl oz (150ml) of the pasta cooking water.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the streaky bacon or guanciale and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crispy and it has rendered its fat. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg with the grated Pecorino Romano. Stir in plenty of freshly ground black pepper. This forms the heart of your creamy sauce.
4. During the last 2 minutes of the pasta’s cooking time, add the garden peas to the same pan to blanch them briefly. Drain the pasta and peas together.
5. Immediately transfer the pasta and peas to the frying pan with the warm bacon fat (ensure the heat is off or very low). Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta, gradually adding a little of the reserved pasta cooking water, stirring vigorously to create a smooth, emulsified sauce. Fold in the crispy bacon, lemon zest, and chopped mint, stirring gently to combine.

Serving & Leftovers

Serve your Spring Carbonara with Peas immediately, garnished with extra Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and a few fresh mint leaves. This dish is best enjoyed fresh, as the egg-based sauce tends to separate or become thick when cooled and reheated. We recommend preparing only the amount needed for immediate consumption.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portions.

One Last Thing

Incorporating dishes like this Spring Carbonara into your weekly routine offers a reliable way to enjoy fresh, satisfying flavours. It exemplifies how simple ingredients can transform into an exceptional, stress-free meal with a focused and uncomplicated approach, perfect for any day and promoting a balanced cooking routine.