Spaghetti alla Carbonara con Asparagi

Spring is here! Birds are chirping, daffodils have finally brought some color to our garden, and fresh local asparagus will soon come into season. While I often serve asparagus simply with just a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, I am always looking for new recipes to highlight this springtime delight. Here, I have tossed asparagus into a classic Roman pasta dish, making a decadent and quick weeknight dinner. Spaghetti alla Carbonara marries eggs, cured pork, and cheese, with plenty of black pepper to create a silky creamy dish that pairs beautifully with the crisp green spears.

Ingredients:

Salt

2 large eggs and 3 large yolks, room temperature

1 cup grated Parmesan

Coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced into ½ inch strips

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 pound spaghetti

3 green onions, sliced

Directions:

Prepare a large pot of salted water and set it on medium heat. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks, and Parmesan. Season with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper.

Add the oil and bacon to a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Sauté over medium heat until the bacon gets crispy and the fat renders out. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Next, add the asparagus and sauté until tender but still crisp, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir in for another 30 seconds then take the pan off the heat.

Raise heat on water pot to high and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just a bit firmer than al dente, 7-8 minutes. Just before pasta is done, return pan with asparagus to medium-low heat, and add crisped bacon. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta. Add cooked pasta to the pan with the asparagus and bacon and cook for a minute or two to heat and incorporate.

Take the pan off the heat, then pour in egg and cheese mixture. Stir in rapidly to melt the cheese into sauce, and thoroughly coat all the noodles. Add a little pasta water, a splash at a time, as you stir to create the perfect creaminess. You will not use all the reserved water, perhaps only a couple of tablespoons. If sauce gets too thin return pan to low heat and stir gently to reduce. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with a pinch of sliced scallions, additional grated cheese, and a hearty crack of black pepper.

Notes:

Because this dish is made from just a few components, it is important to use the best quality ingredients you can. The base of the sauce is the egg yolks, so use the freshest, cage-free eggs you can get. It is important to let the eggs sit on the counter and come to room temperature before cooking.

Classically, this dish is made with Italian guanciale (cured pork cheek), or pancetta (salt-cured bacon), but a high-quality thick-cut American smoked bacon will also work great.

Carbonara is often made with grated pecorino Romano, which is a hard Italian sheep's milk cheese. If you can find it, try using a blend of half pecorino Romano and half Parmesan.

Experiment with other green spring vegetables such as fava beans or English peas in place of the asparagus. Some fresh chopped chervil or tarragon from your garden would be lovely as a garnish with the scallions.

This dish is all about timing. Have all your ingredients prepared and ready to cook before you start. Don't be shy with the black pepper. Mangia!