I’m back with another recipe and this time it features a spring favorite-asparagus! This Herby Spaghetti Carbonara With Asparagus makes for an easy meal that looks ~expensive~. Tossed with crispy bacon and asparagus, it’s a speedy weeknight meal that does your appetite justice.
It’s spring perfection, making good use of fresh eggs and tender asparagus, but it can be enjoyed any time of the year! I like to call this a “bistro” carbonara because it’s served deconstructed and looks so pretty served on a nice plate.
Foolproof Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti carbonara can be finicky and tricky to recreate but that is where this ultra simple recipe comes in to take all the guesswork out of making it!
Scrambling the eggs by far the biggest concern cooks have with carbonara, along with it being too greasy, or too thin and watery.
I’ve tested this recipes over a dozen times (that’s how much I love it) and have found the perfect ratio of eggs, cheese, seasonings and bacon.
This recipe is inspired by my first trip to Rome.
Back in 2017, I took my first trip to Europe with a good friend and backpacked throughout Italy. We had always wanted to see Rome, and were lucky enough to fit it into our tight itinerary – we almost missed our flight there!
It is a transformative experience to go to a new city, one that you had read about all your life and seen on tv shows, and finally try the regional specialities they are famous for. It is always a fun experience and a huge learning opportunity as a cook.
I had carbonara at Ristoro Della Salute which was a full on 5 stars. They’re super close to the Colosseum, and was perfect for two hungry travelers like us! Here’s their website if you want to check out their menu and hours.
What Do I Need To Make Carbonara?
Good Quality Pasta
Good carbonara begins with the most obvious ingredient- the pasta! I personally always use spaghetti for this herby carbonara recipe but you can also use other long pasta like linguine or bucatini.
For the best texture, look for a pasta made with durum wheat flour (100% is ideal). It has a higher protein content which will keep the texture throughout the boiling process. Al dente pasta is a must here since you will be tossing the hot pasta in the pan with the sauce, further cooking it.
Fresh Egg Yolks
Use fresh egg yolks for a sauce that is richer and glossier. Ideally, use room temperature eggs compared to refrigerated because it helps warm the sauce faster and melt the cheese. I recommend leaving the eggs out on the counter for about 15 minutes or so to bring them to room temperature.
How to separate egg yolks: Crack the egg in half and then slide the yolk between the two shell halves. Keep alternating between both halves until the whites slip out.
Real Parmesan Cheese
Use a fresh wedge of parmegianno reggiano and use a hand grater or microplane grater for a finer grating. You can also purchase pre-grated parmesan at the store but be sure to check the ingredients to make sure there are no other additives like starch, which can make your sauce lumpy and stringy.
Bacon
Bacon renders a lot of fat, and while we all love bacon, too much bacon grease can drown the pasta and cause the sauce to separate. For this recipe, only two tablespoons are enough to bring flavor and mix evenly with the carbonara sauce.
Tips For The Perfect Herby Spaghetti Carbonara
The first tip is to boil the pasta once all other parts of the recipe are done– sauce is mixed, bacon is rendered, asparagus cooked etc. You want the pasta to be piping hot so the residual heat can cook the sauce.
The second tip is to temper the carbonara sauce with hot pasta water! Slowly add in a few tablespoons of pasta water to the sauce and whisk quickly to temper the eggs. This not only makes the sauce creamier but also helps to keep the eggs from scrambling!
The final tip is to mix the pasta and the sauce off-heat, meaning that the pot is not sitting on the burner you just cooked the pasta on. If the pot sits on the burner then the bottom will be too hot and will cook the sauce and scramble your eggs. Instead, take your pot off the burner and then mix your pasta and sauce together.
Herby Spaghetti Carbonara With Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried spaghetti or bucatini
- 6 strips bacon
- 5 large egg yolks, room temperature ideally
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (the real kind)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 12 asparagus spears, cleaned and trimmed
Instructions
- Make the carbonara sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Lay the bacon strips in a cold frying pan (starting in a cold pan will prevent smoking).
- Bring the pan up to medium high heat and fry until crisp. Remove strips from heat and drain on paper towels.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease and drain the rest. Add the asparagus spears to the pan and saute until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous handful of salt to the water, then add in the spaghetti. Boil until al dente or according to the package instructions.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, and set aside. Then drain the pasta and return it quickly to the pot to keep the heat.
- Slowly stream in about 1/3 cup of pasta water into the carbonara sauce, whisking the entire time. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the sauce over the hot spaghetti and toss quickly to combine. Keep tossing until the sauce becomes glossy and coats the spaghetti. Add some more pasta water if it seems too thick.
- Plate the spaghetti immediately and top with a few bacon strips and asparagus.