Jamie Oliver's beautiful 'absolutely delicious' courgette carbonara recipe
This recipe is slightly different to the classic dish with an added "summery twist".
When you think of good comfort food on a rainy day there is nothing better than pasta.
Not only is it a filling meal but it can also be a cheap food item to cook.
This recipe from chef Jamie Oliver is a courgette carbonara and is something different to the classic dish with an added "summery twist".
According to the chef's website, which reads: "Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. I've added gorgeous courgettes for a summery twist.
"Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that’s what really helps to make this dish amazing. I’m using a flowering variety of thyme but normal thyme is fine to use. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with spaghetti or linguine, but I’ve been told by Italian mammas (who I don’t argue with!) that penne is the original, so that’s what I’m using in this recipe.
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"Before you start cooking, it’s important to get yourself a very large pan or use a high-sided roasting tray so you can give the pasta a good toss. ”
The recipe serves six people and only takes 20 minutes to cook, perfect for an after-work quick meal.
How to make Jamie Oliver's courgette carbonara recipe:
Ingredients
Six medium green and yellow courgettes
500g penne
Four large eggs
100ml single cream
One small handful of Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Six slices of back bacon
½ a bunch of fresh thyme, (15g)
A few courgette flowers, (optional)
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Method
First, put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
Next, halve and quarter courgettes lengthways. You can cut out and discard any middle bits, and slice the courgettes at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Meanwhile, smaller courgettes can simply be sliced finely.
Just as your water is boiling, add the penne to the pan and cook according to the packet instructions.
To make your creamy carbonara sauce, you will need to separate the eggs and put the yolks into a bowl. Make sure to save the whites for another recipe as you don't want them to go to waste.
Next, add the cream and grate in half the Parmesan. Mix this with a fork. Season this lightly with salt and pepper, and put this to one side.
Then heat a frying pan (a 35cm one is a good start – every house should have one!) and add a good splash of olive oil. Cut the pancetta or bacon into chunky lardons and fry until they turn a dark brown colour and have a crispy texture.
Add the courgette slices and two big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Pick, chop and sprinkle in the thyme leaves and stir everything so the courgettes become coated with all the bacon-flavoured oil. Fry this until they start to turn a lightly golden colour and have softened slightly.
It’s very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined and you will need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Then immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the courgettes, and bacon and remove it from the heat. You can 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.)
Finally, grate in the rest of the Parmesan and add a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste for seasoning.
