5 Ingredients Mediterranean
By Jamie Oliver
Asparagus carbonara
Smoked pancetta, egg yolks, black pepper & pecorino
15 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
I never get bored cooking this dish – it comes together so effortlessly. I just love the contrast between the dark peppery pancetta and delicate asparagus, all coated in the silky egg and cheese sauce.
Recipe From
Ingredients
300g dried penne
350g asparagus
4 large free-range eggs
50g pecorino or Parmesan, plus extra to serve
4 rashers of higher-welfare smoked pancetta or streaky bacon
Method
- Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then slice the stalks roughly the same length as the pasta, halving any thick stalks lengthways.
- Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a bowl (save the whites for making meringues another day), then finely grate in the cheese and mix together.
- Finely slice the pancetta, then place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of black pepper and cook for 4 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- Add the asparagus to the pancetta for 3 minutes, then drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water.
- Tip the pasta into the pancetta pan, toss and stir everything together, then remove from the heat and wait 2 minutes for the pan to cool slightly (if the pan’s too hot, it’ll scramble; get it right and it’ll be smooth, silky and deliciously elegant).
- Loosen the egg mixture with a splash of cooking water, then pour over the pasta, tossing and stirring vigorously – the egg will gently cook in the residual heat. Season to perfection.
- Adjust the consistency with extra cooking water, if needed, and finish with a pinch of pepper and an extra grating of cheese, if you like.
Tags
