It seemed like the landscape went from being dominated by bare brown branches to blooming trees in all shades of green overnight. While we all know nature doesn't work like that, strangely enough it just felt that way this week. Which might explain in part why I was inspired to make a dish made with so many different seasonal green vegetables. And this gorgeous, delicious Spring Vegetable Linguine Carbonara turned out to be the absolutely perfect way to showcase them!
In spite of being made with humble ingredients, a platter of Spring Vegetable Linguine Carbonara never looked more elegant, sumptuous, and tasteful. It's definitely one of those slightly indulgent dishes intended to impress as well as bring a whole new meaning to 'eat your veggies'!
The appeal of this dish is not only in its' flavor and presentation, but in its' simplicity. However, the key to the 'ease' of or the simplicity of making the absolute best Spring Vegetable Linguine Carbonara is in its' advance preparation. From getting all of your pots/pans/bowls/platters ready, to zesting and juicing the lemon, to grating the Parmigiano-Reggiano, to preparing all of the vegetables, to dicing the pancetta in advance, the actual assembly of the dish will end up feeling slightly effortless if all of the upfront work is done shortly beforehand. Which means it can be one of those dishes easily prepared for a weeknight meal, informal gathering, or for a dinner party.
Eggs, egg yolks, some reserved pasta water, and heavy cream are the ingredients for the sauce. The addition of some heavy cream, while not traditional to most carbonara recipes, makes for an even creamier, more luscious sauce. Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of a packaged grated parmesan cheese will definitely make for the best, most luxurious version of a carbonara you have ever tasted. And the addition of lemon zest and lemon juice gives this carbonara a refreshing flavor boost! Creating a carbonara unlike any you have ever tasted before. You may never want another carbonara after tasting this one!
With spring vegetables now in season and readily available at the grocery stores and/or farmer's markets, now is the perfect time to make a platter of Spring Vegetable Linguine Carbonara for your family and/or friends. And with more comfortable outdoor weather and a greener landscape for a backdrop, this carbonara make for a great opening of the outdoor dining season. Serve with a bottle of your favorite pinot noir or chardonnay, maybe some bread, and, of course, dessert as the finishing touch.
Recipe
Spring Vegetable Linguine Carbonara
Serves 6-7
Ingredients
12 ounces (340g) linguine (see notes)
1/2 pound (226g) snow peas, julienned lengthwise
1 cup (148g) fresh or frozen green peas
14-16 thin fresh asparagus spears, remove bottom third (throw away) and cut remaining stalk into 2" pieces
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces pancetta, thickly sliced (1/4" slices), then cut into a dice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 extra large egg yolks
2 extra large eggs
3/4 cup (68g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for finishing
5 scallions, white and green parts only, thinly sliced diagonally
1/4 cup minced fresh chives, plus more for finishing
2 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Zest and juice of one lemon (medium to large size)
Optional: Snap peas for garnish
Directions
1. Prepare all of the vegetables, grate the cheese, and zest/juice the lemon before beginning the dish.
2. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium-large sized skillet. Add the pancetta. Sauté over medium heat until pancetta is browned (approximately 8-10 minutes). Stir pancetta occasionally while cooking. Transfer the pancetta to plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
3. While the pasta is cooking fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Set aside to heat the bowl.
4. While the pancetta is sautéing bring a large pot of water with one Tablespoon of Kosher salt to a boil. Add the linguine and cook for 8-9 minutes. Remove one cup of the pasta water and add in the snow peas, fresh peas and asparagus. Cook for 2 minutes longer. Drain the vegetables and pasta together.
5. Immediately empty the large bowl filled with water, add in the cream, eggs, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Whisk to combine.
6. Immediately add in the hot pasta and vegetables. Toss with tongs for 1-2 minutes or until the pasta begins to absorb the sauce. Add an additional 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to keep the sauce creamy.
7. Add in the grated cheese, scallions, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, 3/4 of the pancetta, salt and pepper. Toss well.
8. Transfer to a bowl. Top with remaining pancetta, grate on some additional cheese, sprinkle with some additional salt as well as the some additional chives.
9. Serve immediately.
Notes: (1) Read through the recipe at least twice before making this dish. (2) Most packages of pasta come in one pound (16 ounce packages). This recipe requires only 12 ounces. I used this Rummo linguine. (3) Instead of using pancetta, you could also use guanciale. (4) Recipe inspired by Ina Garten's Spring Green Spaghetti Carbonara recipe from her cookbook "Modern Comfort Food". (5) The dish was garnished with some snap peas sliced with the peas exposed. (6) If possible weigh your grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rather than measuring it in a measuring cup.
Spring at Morton Arboretum, April 2021
