Spinach Carbonara
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Makes 4 servings 1x
Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound spinach
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound any long pasta
- 3 eggs
- 4 ounces parmesan cheese (1 cup grated)
- Pepper
Instructions
Prep | Cook
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over low heat.
Raise the heat under the skillet to medium-high. Cook the spinach, adding a handful at a time and stirring between batches, until the leaves are just wilted, about 5 minutes.
Peel and chop 2 cloves garlic, adding them to the skillet as soon as you can (they’ll cook with the spinach).
When the spinach is tender, turn off the heat.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. Start tasting after 5 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a bowl.
Grate 1 cup parmesan cheese and add to the bowl; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper. Whisk with a fork to combine.
When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving about 1 cup cooking water. Add the pasta to the spinach and pour in the egg mixture. Toss, adding a splash of cooking water if you want to make it saucier. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.
– Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast: Completely Revised and Updated
Recipe variations
More Traditional Pasta Carbonara
Omit the spinach. Instead, cook 8 ounces chopped guanciale (similar to other cured pork cuts, only this one comes from the jowls and is a special treat), pancetta, or bacon in the olive oil until crisp. Drain off some of the fat if you like—or not. Keep the garlic and proceed as directed.
Pasta with Asparagus and Eggs
Use cut pasta here, like orecchiette or fusilli. Substitute 1 pound asparagus for the spinach; trim and slice it on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths; chop the garlic at the same time, before cooking in Step 3. Start tasting after 3 minutes to capture one stage before your desired degree of doneness; then proceed.
Pasta with Mushrooms and Eggs
Instead of the spinach, trim and thinly slice 1 pound cremini mushrooms. Cook them in the olive oil until they’re tender and begin to dry out, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more before proceeding.