Spaghetti Carbonara With Peas
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.I’ve always been a little intimidated by carbonara, to be honest. Pouring eggs straight into a heated pan and not having them scramble? Seemed pretty tricky to me. But with just a tiny bit of practice and a quick hand, I was able to perfect this creamy dish, and now it’s your turn to do the same!
While not strictly traditional, I like to use pepper bacon rather than guanciale or pancetta for this dish because it’s easy to find at my local grocery store, and gives an extra peppery kick. I also added a healthy dose of peas because I think almost every pasta dish is better with a little bit of vegetable added. I hope you like it. Let me know if you do!
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
If you’re feeling confident in your cooking skills and want to skip the walk-through, click here.
Step 1:
Prep Ingredients
Dice 2 thick-cut slices of bacon (I used pepper bacon, which I think works best here).
Finely mince 3 cloves of garlic.
Grate ½ cup of parmesan cheese with the second largest size on a cheese grater.
Beat together the grated cheese with 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon of black pepper, and a pinch of fresh lemon zest in a small bowl.
Measure out ⅓ pound of dry spaghetti pasta and ½ cup of frozen peas.
If desired, finely chop some fresh parsley for garnish.
Step 2:
Boil Pasta, Reserve Water
Add 8 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, along with the spaghetti.
Boil the spaghetti for 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so to prevent sticking.
Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside for later.
Drain the remaining water from the pasta and set it aside, covered.
Step 3:
Cook Peas
Add frozen peas to a small saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water.
Cover and place over medium heat. Allow to steam until peas are softened and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain any remaining water. Set aside, covered.
Step 4:
Cook Bacon
Add diced bacon to a large, cold, ungreased pan. Place over medium low heat.
Stirring occasionally, cook until crisp and browned, about 12-15 minutes.
Remove bacon from pan and set aside, but don’t turn heat off.
Step 5:
Combine
Add garlic to the pan the bacon was cooked in and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
To the garlic, add ¼ cup of pasta water (careful, it may spatter), then the cooked pasta and peas. Get a pair of tongs ready.
Turn the heat up to medium and pour in the egg and cheese mixture, immediately tossing the pasta in it. Keep it constantly moving. If it begins to thicken very quickly, add another splash of pasta water. Keep tossing and mixing the dish until the sauce becomes a creamy consistency and has coated everything.
Immediately remove from the heat and toss in the bacon.
Split onto two plates to serve, sprinkling the parsley on top for garnish if desired.
Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas
Servings: 2 Time: 30-60 minutes
Difficulty: 🧡🧡🤍🤍🤍
Ingredients
⅓ lb. dry spaghetti pasta
2 slices thick-cut bacon
3 cloves garlic
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup frozen peas
½ teaspoon + 1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of fresh lemon zest
Fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
Directions
Step 1: Prep Ingredients
Dice the bacon. Finely mince the garlic. Grate the parmesan cheese. Mix together the grated parmesan, eggs, yolk, ½ teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and lemon zest in a small bowl. If using, finely chop the fresh parsley for garnish.
Step 2: Boil Pasta, Reserve Water
Add 8 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the other teaspoon of salt along with the pasta. Boil the pasta for 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so to prevent sticking. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside for later. Drain the remaining water and set the pasta aside, covered.
Step 3: Cook Peas
Add frozen peas to a small saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and place over medium heat. Allow to steam until peas are softened and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain any remaining water. Set aside, covered.
Step 4: Cook Bacon
Add diced bacon to a large, cold, ungreased pan. Place over medium low heat. Stirring occasionally, cook until crisp and browned, about 12-15 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and set aside, but don’t take the pan off the heat.
Step 5: Combine
Add the minced garlic to the pan that the bacon was cooked in. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. To the garlic, add ¼ cup of the pasta water (careful, it may spatter), and then the pasta and the peas. Get a pair of tongs ready. Turn the heat up to medium. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and IMMEDIATELY begin tossing with the tongs. Continue tossing constantly until the sauce becomes creamy and coats everything consistently. If it seems to be thickening too quickly, add another splash of pasta water. When it looks good and creamy, remove from the heat and toss in the bacon, then split onto two plates. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to garnish, and enjoy!