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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Asparagus Carbonara

I've been having a love affair with asparagus lately, so when I saw this recipe for Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon, and Egg I couldn't wait to try it.


The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much the recipe reminded me of carbonara, which if you've read this blog for any length of time you'll know is my all-time favorite pasta dish. I decided to combine the two recipes, subbing the asparagus for the onion in the original recipe. The result was a delicious and beautiful spring dish that feels healthier because of the beautiful, crisp, green asparagus.



Asparagus Carbonara
Recipes from The Local Cook and Nigella Lawson

4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
Splash of vermouth
8 ounces short-cut pasta
2 eggs
Splash of heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
salt and pepper to taste
Freshly ground nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until brown. Add the asparagus and cook to desired doneness (5-10 minutes). Once asparagus is cooked, add the vermouth and let it bubble so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to coat the pasta with the winey syrup. Take the pan off the heat.

In a bowl beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Add the mixture to the pan, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Top with more grated cheese, if desired.

7 comments:

  1. This looks wonderful! I have a (slight) obsession with carbonara, so will definitely be trying this. The addition of asparagus is perfect for this time of year!

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  2. Wendy - Thanks for the inspiration!

    Emily - I'm obsessed with carbonara and the addition of the asparagus made me feel a lot less guilty about it. :)

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  3. A friend of mine made asparagus carbonara for a potluck we did last year and I've wanted to make it ever since. I love how the penne and asparagus pieces match. It looks delicious, Sarah!!

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  4. Melissa - Make it, you'll love it. :)

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  5. I like your way to make the pics, i'm italian and of course i love pasta!

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  6. I just love pasta, it is my favourite food. Definetly i will try this recipe because it looks so delicious, thanks a lot for sharing.

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