Asparagus Carbonara | Jamie's 5 Ingredients Meals | Channel 4, Mondays, 8pm #AD

guanciale

🥗Healthier: pancetta

💰Cheaper: bacon

Pancetta is lower in fat, while bacon is more accessible and affordable.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: Grana Padano

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free, while Grana Padano is a more economical cheese option.

eggs

🥗Healthier: egg substitute

💰Cheaper: tofu

Egg substitutes can reduce cholesterol, while tofu is a budget-friendly alternative.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil offers health benefits, while vegetable oil is often less expensive.

Cook 300g penne pasta in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes.

Cut asparagus stalks at a slight angle to match the size of the pasta.

Thinly slice the smoked bacon.

In a skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat and add the sliced bacon.

Render the fat from the bacon until it is golden and crispy.

In a bowl, separate the yolks from 4 eggs, saving the yolks and discarding the whites (or freezing them for later use).

Add about a teaspoon of black pepper to the bacon in the skillet.

Add a handful of grated Parmesan cheese to the egg yolks and whisk together.

Reserve a little cooking water from the pasta before draining it.

Once the bacon is crispy, add the asparagus to the skillet and stir.

Turn off the heat of the skillet to prevent scrambling the eggs.

Add the drained penne pasta and reserved cooking water to the skillet with the bacon and asparagus.

Let the pan cool for 1 minute before adding the egg and cheese mixture to create a creamy sauce.

Mix everything together gently to avoid scrambling the eggs, using the residual heat to thicken the sauce.

Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a final touch of black pepper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens