Carbonara Peas & Shells
A proper carbonara built the right way - eggs and Parmesan tempered with hot pasta water, never scrambled - with sweet peas and shells that catch the sauce in every curve.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup grated Parmesan
salt, for seasoning
pepper, for seasoning
150g brown onion, finely chopped
150g pancetta, finely sliced
2/3 cup frozen peas
500g shell pasta
3/4 cup pasta water, reserved
METHOD
In a large bowl, combine the whole eggs and egg yolks. Add the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
In a frying pan over medium heat, saute the onion and pancetta until the onion is golden and the pancetta is very crisp. Be careful not to burn it.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the frozen peas to cool the mixture down. Set aside.
Boil the pasta in plenty of heavily salted water until just al dente. Reserve the pasta water before draining.
Temper the egg and Parmesan mixture by stirring in a little of the reserved pasta water. Stir in the pancetta, onion and pea mixture.
While the pasta is still steaming hot, add it to the bowl with the egg mixture and toss together. Gradually add more pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy, glossy sauce.
Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of black pepper.
HINTS
The pasta needs to be properly hot when it hits the egg mixture - this is what cooks the eggs into a sauce rather than scrambling them, so don't let it sit and cool while you faff with anything else.
Take the onion and pancetta pan off the heat before adding the peas - this stops the residual heat from overcooking everything and keeps the peas a bright, fresh green.
Add the reserved pasta water gradually rather than all at once - you want a glossy coating sauce, not a soup, and it's easier to loosen than to thicken.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 13,600 kJ (3260 cal)
Protein: 150 g
Fat: 113 g
Saturated fat: 55 g
Carbohydrate: 406 g
Sugars: 14 g
Fibre: 22 g
Sodium: 4600 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.