This last winter has certainly been a long one, but the last week has been saturated by rays of sunshine and temperatures in the unheard-of 80’s. At least that’s what I’ve heard. I did get to see it in the car to and from work. I thoroughly enjoyed putting on my prescription sunglasses and jamming to LFO. (Summer girls, obviously).
I couldn’t be more thankful. The light is helping me have the energy to test recipes after work and, step back! actually clean the dishes. It means that I no longer have just 1.5 days a week to have a photo shoot. But most of all it’s helping raise those serotonin levels back up to normal as I start to transform from Mr. Clocksworth to human again. Paaaaaraise the Lord!
One of my favorite dishes my mom makes when the sun starts to make regular appearances is Spaghetti Carbonara. We would sit out on the back porch with our cooled beverages and most likely a cardigan and twirl that spaghetti all up in forks and crunch down on fresh peas bought at the Corvallis farmers market earlier that day. It’s pasta heaven.
I promise you, if you haven’t had it yet, it’s better than Fettuccini Alfredo by leaps and bounds. (However, that is the dish that won Daniel’s Heart). It’s also waaaay easier, not to mention healthier* and only requires a large skillet, medium mixing bowl and a cutting board. The first step is cutting up large and thick slices of bacon into quarter-inch cuts and throwing them in a hot skillet so they make that sizzling sound immediately. I use Pancetta instead of bacon whenever I can. It’s Italian salted meat from pork belly that is traditionally used in Carbonara but here in America we tend to replace bacon with anything, my apologies. But the smell… the smell only gets better once the bacon is just about done and you add in freshly chopped yellow onion.
Can you smell it? Not a lot better in this world than the smell of onions snapping in bacon grease. Remember when I said it was healthier*? Well that was most definitely in relativity to Alfredo sauce (part cream, part butter, part cheese). Pancetta would be a healthier, less greasy option. This dish isn’t going to win you any clean eating awards, but it will satisfy your summer taste buds.
Where was I? Oh, yes, because now is the time when you add in the cherry tomatoes. I love cherry tomatoes because they are always juicy, sweet, never mealy, and my answer to the winter tomato. Add a few tomatoes crushed, diced garlic, and the fresh peas, and then invite the al dente pasta to the skillet party. Turn off the heat and add the secret weapon: eggs and cream, drenching the whole thing together by mixing until the sauce thickens, and adding a little bit of fresh Parmesan, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Top it with nature’s best sauce, the egg yolk.
Nailed it.
Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara
Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara recipe made with peas, cherry tomatoes, and topped with a creamy and tasty egg yolk. A summer night’s dinner for the family.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
Ingredients
1 package spaghetti
5-6 strips bacon, thick cut
1 small yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
3/4 cup cream
2 teaspoons salt plus more for sweating onions
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Red pepper flakes
Instructions
Cook spaghetti to al dente.
Place a large skillet over medium to high heat. Cut up the strips of bacon crosswise and place in the skillet, cooking the bacon until it is just about done.
Cut an onion in half lengthwise and peel off the skin. Chop the onion and place it in with the bacon and stir. Add a pinch of salt. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of your knife and dice. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Add the garlic, tomatoes and peas to the mix. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook until the onions are transparent and the tomatoes have deflated.
In a medium bowl, whisk the cream, salt, eggs and nutmeg together.
Toss the spaghetti in the bacon mixture and turn off the heat. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the spaghetti and toss until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Shave the Parmesan cheese on top and toss.
Add fresh-cracked pepper and red pepper flakes.
Keywords: bacon, carbonara, egg yolk, italian food, pasta, spaghetti carbonara
