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Classic Pasta Carbonara gets a makeover for spring with peas, asparagus, and scallions along with the traditional Parmesan cheese and bacon.

There’s just something about pasta that makes me happy. I can eat it in a variety of sauce or simply with butter. I like it plain or with a ton of mix ins. I’m just a pasta person.

One of my favorite easy to make pasta dishes is pasta carbonara. Classic carbonara is made with pasta tossed with eggs, some type of hard cheese, some type of cured pork, and black pepper. It’s ready in minutes.

I saw this version for Spring Spaghetti Carbonara and really liked the addition of vegetables to it. There was asparagus, peas, ad scallions added in. This not only would add a bunch of flavor but it added in color as well.

Ingredients:

spaghetti
peas
asparagus
olive oil
bacon
heavy cream
eggs
Parmesan cheese
scallions
lemon

To make the carbonara cook the spaghetti in boiling water for 8 minutes. Remove one cup of pasta water for later. Add in the peas and asparagus and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain pasta and vegetables.

Meanwhile, heat a medium sized skillet. Add the bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes or until browned. Remove from the skillet to a paper towel lined plate.

In a large bowl combine the cream, eggs, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Whisk to combine. Immediately add the pasta and vegetables and toss to combine. Add additional pasta water to make the sauce creamy.

Stir in the Parmesan, scallions, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and crumbled bacon. Toss to combine. Serve with additional Parmesan.

I really liked the addition of the vegetables. It brightened up the dish and it not only added flavor but some nutrition to the dish as well.

Can I use other vegetables?

Sure! While I was trying to keep spring vegetables you can really use any vegetables you enjoy. Other spring vegetables include artichokes, chives, and carrots. Other vegetables that would work in this dish would be bell peppers, mushrooms, or onions.

Do I have to use Parmesan?

While using Parmesan is traditional, any hard Italian cheese can be used in this dish.

Do I have to use spaghetti noodles?

No! You can use whatever type of noodle you’d like in this dish.

What can I use in place of bacon?

You can use pancetta or prosciutto if you are looking for a meat substitute. If you want a vegetarian substitute try using shiitake mushrooms or tempeh.

I usually like to have some type of bread with pasta but in this case there isn’t a ton of sauce to go with it so I actually prefer breadsticks or a green salad as a side dish with this one. You could also make an antipasto tray to serve along with it.

This pasta is best served piping hot with extra Parmesan cheese. You can also have additional bacon and some chives on the side as well.

More Spring Vegetable Recipes:

If you’ve tried my Spring Pasta Carbonara or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on: