Carbonara, Two Ways

Carbonara is a staple in the weekly food rotation these days, because bacon is a winner ingredient and incorporates a variety of veggies from the garden. The sauce (cream and egg) gives it a nice texture, without the heaviness of an alfredo sauce. While taking my cues from Gourmet’s recipe and Jamie Oliver’s version, here’s what we’ve been doing:
Farfalle Carbonara with Summer Veggies
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. farfalle
6 slices of bacon
1 of each: jalapeno, banana pepper, green pepper diced
1/2 cup peas
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of butter
2 eggs
To cook:
Set pot of water to boil while frying the bacon. Once bacon is cooked, set aside and drain bacon fat from pan except for a small amount. Add butter to same pan as bacon and melt, then add your veggies (if you use frozen peas, add the peas first with a little water to cook them (water will evaporate), then add butter to melt, then add other veggies). Your water should be boiling, so add the farfalle to cook, about 12 minutes or until al dente. Add your heavy whipping cream to the pan of veggies and let simmer on low for a few minutes while whisking two eggs in another bowl. Once the farfalle is cooked, drain all but some of the cooking water; add the cream and veggies to pasta, then add eggs and stir. Voila. Add Parmesan to top if you like.

Tagliatelle with Fresh Corn Pesto

The recipe above is similar to the basic carbonara, but uses tagliatelle, basil and corn. It is also delicious but has more of an herby freshness than savory veggie taste. Get the recipe at Bon Appetit.