Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Carbonara – a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan cheese – our delicious interpretation has pesto for a more herby flavour. We often try to make do with ingredients we have in our fridge or pantry so if you don’t have cream you can substitute with double cream plain yoghurt. The same basic recipe would apply no matter your preference.
Ingredients
- 800g-1kg courgettes (baby marrow)
- 500g penne or fusilli pasta
- 4 large egg yolks
- 100ml cream
- 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 12 slices of smoked streaky bacon or the leaner back bacon (if you want the healthier option!), cut into chunky bits
- Olive oil
- Course salt, to taste
- 2Tbsp Black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 tub Pitcharelloes basil pesto
- a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
Give it a whirl
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter your courgettes length-ways. Slice the courgettes into pieces roughly the same size as the bacon bits. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the packet instructions.
To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan cheese, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with sea salt and put to one side.
Heat a very large frying pan (a 35cm one is a good start – every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the courgette pieces and the black pepper. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the courgettes become coated with all the lovely bacon flavoured oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.
It’s very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the courgettes, bacon and lovely flavours, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you’ll scramble the eggs.)
Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straight away. While you’re tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan cheese and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.
