This Pasta alla Carbonara with Peas and Bacon a favorite quick, easy and inexpensive comfort food thats ready in less than 30 minutes.
When I think about Italian food, certain iconic recipes come to mind, like Linguine alle Vongole or Lasagne Bolognese. Pasta alla Carbonara is another one.
Like Cacio e Pepe, Pasta alla Gricia and Bucatini allAmatriciana, Pasta alla Carbonara is a traditional pasta dish that originated in Rome and remains popular there today.
This version of pasta alla carbonara isnt totally authentic because its lightened up with the addition of fresh peas. I love the bright green pop of color and earthy, springy flavor that they add to the dish. I also opt to make it with American smoked bacon rather than guanciale, which is typically used in a traditional carbonara recipe. I love the smoky flavor, plus, I always have some on hand.
This easy pasta carbonara recipe is great for those nights when when youre short on time and/or ingredients. Its the perfect recipe to serve the whole family, especially with a light side like sauteed spinach or shaved asparagus salad to make a complete.
There are no peas in the classic carbonara; however, when I was in a little town outside Rome I was served a carbonara with asparagus. And in my restaurants, I always put peas in my carbonara. There’s just something about the sonderful taste of peas, creamed pecorino, and guanciale that is wonderful.
But there is no budging on the issue of peas. If you absolutely must include something green, you can add chopped flat-leaf parsley. Then again, if you need some green, perhaps carbonara isnt your dish. May I recommend a salad instead?
The salty, fatty mass that is spaghetti carbonara is a dish that’s about exploring the outer limits of salty and creamy indulgence within a pasta framework. Peas and their little bursts of sweetness have no place in it. Serving the pasta with peas isnt going to balance out the dish at all; they’re just going to get overwhelmed and talked-over by the bigger flavors on board. Unless you just poured on a mountain of shriveled, thawed frozen peas, theres no chance theyll be able to withstand the powerhouse Ps.
I don’t know how else to say it, but green peas in pasta __look…weird. Look at a plate of pasta carbonara with peas and try not to see little green wrinkly eyeballs floating around in a nest of wispy noodles. It’s a hellish sight, and not one youre going to want to load up on and Instagram. But a broken egg yolk oozing into a pork-coverd pasta? That looks so good its on the verge of NSFW.
My first real exposure to salty, smoky pasta carbonara was late one night in college, a few hours before a red eye flight home for the holidays. My roommate and I had decided to cook a big dinner, but we weren’t ready for just how huge carbonara actually was going to be.
In other words, it was perfect, and Ive spent years trying to find a carbonara as satisfying. So far, its been a disheartening journey. Because when I see this dish on restaurant menus, I become dismayed and definitely disgusted. These carbonaras have all of the Ps from my buzzy maiden attempt at carbonara (prosciutto, pancetta, Parmigiano, Pecorino), but with one extra, seemingly innocuous p: peas.
Step by step instructions
- Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add the bacon to a large skillet at room temperature and bring it up to medium heat. Sauté the bacon for about 2-3 minutes or until it starts to render out, then add in the garlic clove and black pepper. Continue to cook until the bacon becomes crisp and the garlic is light golden brown. Remove the garlic clove if you desire (I leave it in).
- Add about about a tablespoon of salt to the boiling water, then add the pasta and give it a stir. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but remove it one minute before the recommended time to ensure it stays al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together the eggs and grated cheese in a medium bowl.
- Right before the pasta is done, scoop out a few cups of pasta water, then drain the pasta noodles and add it to the pan with the bacon. Place the pan over medium-high heat and toss the pasta around in the bacon fat for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add a splash of hot reserved pasta water to the egg mixture and whisk, then add the hot pasta to the bowl and toss quickly so the eggs dont scramble. Continue mixing until the heat of the pasta forms a rich, thick sauce.
- Add the peas and continue tossing until everything is combined. Thin it out with more pasta water or thicken it up with more cheese as needed, then taste and adjust seasoning.
- Transfer the pasta to plates, then sprinkle parsley, extra parmesan and black pepper on top. Serve immediately.
- Cook the pasta in as little water as you can. This will make a starchier pasta water which will help create a creamy texture.
- Do not drain the bacon on paper towels. You need the bacon grease for the sauce.
- Make sure your eggs and peas are room temperature so that they dont prohibit the sauce from cooking.
- Whisk in a splash hot pasta water to the egg and cheese mixture before adding the pasta to temper the eggs and avoid them scrambling.
- If your sauce isnt thickening up, its probably not hot enough. Place the mixing bowl over top of the pot of hot pasta water and use the steam to create a double boiler. The gentle heat will warm the pasta enough to help form the sauce.
- Frozen peas are blanched before freezing, so you dont need to cook them first before adding to the pasta. But if you prefer them more cooked, add them to the boiling water with the pasta one minute before draining.
- Dont over salt the pasta cooking water or it could cause the final dish to be too salty due to the salty bacon and cheese.
- For even more flavor, add some fresh chives, mint leaves or lemon zest right before serving.
Quick Pasta alla Carbonara with Peas and Bacon
FAQ
What vegetables are best in carbonara?
What should not be added to carbonara?
What does a traditional carbonara contain?
Why do people add peas to pasta?
Can you add peas to a Carbonara?
Adding peas to a carbonara is by no means classically Italian, though the combination of black pepper, pancetta, and peas is. I barely cook the peas—a quick blanching in the pasta cooking water right before you pull the pasta is all it takes. Instead of (or in addition to) the peas, you could use asparagus or thinly sliced sugar snap peas.
Are peas good for hair?
Peas are full of many nutrients that could be beneficial for hair health, however, many foods contain these nutrients, and I wouldn’t recommend adding peas to your diet solely for hair health benefits. Peas are healthy and I would recommend adding them to you diet if you like to eat them.
Does pasta carbonara with peas count as pasta?
Pasta carbonara with peas does not compute under any circumstance. The salty, fatty mass that is spaghetti carbonara is a dish that’s about exploring the outer limits of salty and creamy indulgence within a pasta framework. Peas and their little bursts of sweetness have no place in it.
What’s in a Carbonara?
These carbonaras have all of the Ps from my buzzy maiden attempt at carbonara (prosciutto, pancetta, Parmigiano, Pecorino), but with one extra, seemingly innocuous p: peas. And peas is where I drop the menu. I do not care if it’s bringing a pop of green color or some sweetness to the overall dish’s flavor.