This spaghetti carbonara (with pesto!) isn’t exactly a health food but it’s so delicious and makes a perfect special occasional meal. Since we were snowed in and our Valentine’s Day plans for dinner out (or more likely takeout in the car or outside in the cold) were cancelled I decided to bring the Italian restaurant to our home. I made this carbonara alongside tomato bruschetta and roasted asparagus. We even broke out the wine glasses (for the adults) to share a tiny bottle (haha see picture) of sparkling apple cider.

Gwen, who is our most fervent pasta-lover, took a few bites of this carbonara and declared, “this is so good, I could stuff my head in it”! They all ate and ate and licked the pan clean. Dustin loved it too. I thought the addition of pesto (it replaces what is traditionally only garlic) was a fun twist and we’ll definitely be making this one again!

I found Tyler Florence’s instructions on tossing the hot pasta with the bacon (and in this case, peas) and then adding the egg and cheese mixture in off of the heat helpful. I made the mistake of returning my pan to the heat for a few minutes afterwards and my sauce started to clump. So be careful not to overcook yours or the eggs will start to scramble! And don’t forget to reserve some of the water you cooked the pasta in to help thin the sauce. Make sure everything is ready to go (see steps 2 & 3) before the pasta is done boiling so that you can work quickly and your carbonara will be a success!

Pesto Spaghetti Carbonara

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. spaghetti noodles (or another pasta)
6 oz. bacon (6-8 strips) or pancetta, diced
3 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and/or Pecorino Romano + ~1/2 cup extra for serving
3 Tbsp. basil pesto
3/4 cup frozen peas (we like petite peas best)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook noodles in salted water according to package instructions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, place the eggs, 1 cup of parmesan, and pesto in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
3. Also while the pasta is cooking, render the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add the frozen peas (carefully, so they don’t splatter), and cook until heated through about 2-3 minutes.
4. Drain the pasta and reserve 3/4 cup of the liquid (this is important to remember as the pasta water will be added to thin the sauce!).
5. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese/pesto mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste. Serve immediately with extra grated cheese.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from I Wash You Dry and Food Network)