Roasted Asparagus Carbonara

Creamy, comforting, and full of flavour, this twist on classic carbonara brings in roasted asparagus and mushrooms for a fresh, earthy lift. Crispy bacon, garlic, and herbs round out this simple yet elegant dish.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings People

Ingredients

300 g asparagus trimmed and cut into thirds
200 g mushrooms chestnut or button, sliced
150 g streaky bacon chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
3 large eggs free range
50 g Parmesan grated or Pecorino cheese
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves ½ tsp dried
1/3 bunch fresh parsley chopped
350 g Fettuccine spaghetti or linguine
Olive oil
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
Place the asparagus and mushrooms on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15–18 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
300 g asparagus, 200 g mushrooms, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, Olive oil, salt, black pepper
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. In a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
350 g Fettuccine
While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crispy. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Turn off the heat.
150 g streaky bacon, 2 cloves garlic
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and cheese with a generous pinch of black pepper.
3 large eggs, black pepper, 50 g Parmesan
Add the drained pasta to the bacon pan along with the roasted asparagus and mushrooms.
Toss everything together. Let it cool slightly for 30 seconds to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Quickly pour in the egg and cheese mixture, tossing everything together so the residual heat creates a silky sauce.
Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Finish with chopped parsley and an extra grating of cheese, if you like.
1/3 bunch fresh parsley

Notes

Tip:

Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and warm. A side salad and a glass of white wine wouldn’t go amiss!

Nutrition