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.
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