I bet eveyone knows the pasta alla carbonara, but few know how to make it the right way. In this case I’m not going to use smoked pork belly, but zucchini. We may say that this is a much lighter version of the original carbonara.
If you are vegetarian, or on a diet, or simply you don’t like pork belly this is a valid alternative. It’s as easy as the orginal recipe and you need few ingredients to prepare it. The secret in both is when to mix in the eggs. Many people are afraid of eating half cooked eggs so they stir fry the pasta after having added the egg.. the result?? A big frittata with pasta.
The original carbonara is made with pecorino, but when making zucchini carbonara you can use parmigiano as well, especially if you like a less salty taste.
This recipe is balanced and perfect to prepare a single course meal, especially if you are using whole wheat or spelt pasta.
Using vegetables instead of smoked meat you can easily lower calories without giving up the taste.
Ingredients
- 350gr of pasta
- 3 regular zucchini
- 4 eggs
- 100gr grated parmigiano or pecorino
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Step 1
Bring to a boil 4lt of water, add salt and then, as it boils again, the pasta.
Step 2
Wash the zucchini and remove the tips. Slice them into rounds and put them into a frying pan with the oil.
Step 3
Add salt and pepper to taste and let it cook for 6/10 minutes covered with a lid. Stir from time to time to avoid scorching.
Step 4
In a bowl mix the eggs, cheese, and a pinch of salt.
Step 5
THIS IS A CRUCIAL STEP: Turn off the heat, drain the pasta and pour it back into the pan. Add the eggs and mix well, the eggs will turn into a delicate cream. Add the zucchini and serve with a sprinkle of pepper.
It’s important to turn off the flame under the pan when you add the eggs. You just need the residual heat from the pan to cook the eggs, with a flame under the pan, the egg will cook instantly and will get the same consistency of a scrambled egg.
