Asparagus carbonara
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Asparagus carbonara
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Alice Hart
Alice Hart is a Sussex-born food and travel writer, trained chef and food stylist. Her vegetarian recipes are packed with natural ingredients offering feel-good food for all.
Alice Hart
Alice Hart is a Sussex-born food and travel writer, trained chef and food stylist. Her vegetarian recipes are packed with natural ingredients offering feel-good food for all.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 5 large eggs, 4 yolks, plus 1 whole egg
- 100g pecorino cheese, finely grated (or vegetarian alternative)
- 300g dried penne
- 250g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4cm pieces
- ½ x 28g pack basil, leaves only, shredded
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
Step by step
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Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a low heat and gently soften the garlic for a couple of minutes. Set aside.
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Whisk together the egg yolks, egg and two-thirds of the grated cheese in a small bowl. Add the garlic and season with lots of black pepper.
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Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, according to pack instructions. Add the asparagus for the last 3 or 4 minutes. Drain, saving half a mugful of the cooking water. Return the pasta and asparagus to the pan and add the egg and cheese mixture, stirring constantly. Add enough of the reserved cooking water – about 4 tablespoons – to create a creamy sauce that coats the pasta; stir in the basil. Scatter with the pine nuts and serve with the remaining cheese.
Note: this recipe contains raw/partially cooked eggs
