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Gennaro Contaldo’s asparagus carbonara

By: Gennaro Contaldo

Published: 2 Apr 24
Updated: 26 Apr 24

Gennaro Contaldo gives classic carbonara a spring makeover with the addition of asparagus. “A classic carbonara is loved the world over and the addition of asparagus brings a wonderful fresh flavour,” he says. “I even use the hard stems to flavour the pasta water.”

“Vegetarians can simply omit the pancetta and use a veggie hard cheese,” says Gennaro. And another tip: “Store the egg whites in the fridge for a lovely light omelette the next day.”

Recipe taken from Gennaro’s Verdure (Pavilion Books £26) and tested by delicious.

Easy
April 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 15 min

“Vegetarians can simply omit the pancetta and use a veggie hard cheese,” says Gennaro. And another tip: “Store the egg whites in the fridge for a lovely light omelette the next day.”

Recipe taken from Gennaro’s Verdure (Pavilion Books £26) and tested by delicious.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 611kcals
Fat: 30g (9.5g saturated)
Protein: 25g
Carbohydrates: 59g (4.4g sugars)
Fibre: 3.8g
Salt: 1g

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Ingredients

320g asparagus
320g dried linguine
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
60g diced pancetta
6 medium free-range egg yolks
80g pecorino, finely grated, plus extra to sprinkle

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Method

Remove and reserve the woody stems from the asparagus, then finely chop the remaining stems, keeping the asparagus tips intact.
Put a large pan of salted water over a high heat and add the woody stems. When the water starts to boil, lift out and discard the stems, then add the linguine and cook until al dente (with bite).
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes until it begins to colour. Stir in the asparagus stems and tips and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until cooked.

In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks, then stir in a little black pepper and the pecorino. Drain the cooked linguine (reserving a cup of pasta water) and add to the frying pan. Mix the pasta, pancetta and asparagus together well, adding a splash of the hot pasta water to bind. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the egg mixture until everything is well combined and silky. Serve immediately with extra black pepper and grated pecorino.