Mmm, Creamy Carbonara! The pasta dish responsible for making us feel like the professional chefs we aren’t. When we make this dish, which calls for lots of ingredients we already have in our pantry, the pasta always seems the bounciest, the veggies the tenderest, and the sauce the creamiest! It’s simple enough to replace your go-to buttered noodles, and brings so much more exciting flavors! Be proud of your pasta when you serve up this Creamy Carbonara!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh fettuccine
- 1 cup parmesan, grated, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 3 large egg yolks
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 pound jumbo asparagus, woody ends snapped off, peeled into thin, wide ribbons
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the fettucine to al dente, according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
Step 2 –In a medium bowl, add 1 cup of the parmesan, the egg yolks, the salt, and black pepper and mix to combine. Set it aside.
Step 3 –While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon pieces, stirring occasionally, until they are crisp, about 7-8 minutes.
Step 4 –Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet, leaving the bacon in the skillet.
Step 5 –Add the crushed red pepper flakes and the garlic to the bacon pieces and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 6 –Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the cooked fettuccine and the asparagus to the bacon mixture and toss until they are well-coated and mixed with the bacon.
Step 7 –Whisk 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture, then quickly pour it over the pasta. Gently cook, tossing continuously, until a creamy sauce forms.
Step 8 –Thin out the pasta mixture with more of the reserved pasta water as needed, adding 1 tablespoon at a time.
Step 9 –Serve the pasta garnished with the extra parmesan and the parsley.
