easy pesto pasta carbonara
Get your 20 minute noods here!
Truthfully, I have a headache and my sinuses are chewing up my face from the inside, so I’m keeping this extra brief. Just like a recipe, so it’s fitting. I also realized that February only has 28 days and I have shit to finish before the months turned, so I’m vaguely panicking. Of course, immediately resulting in me getting distracted.
I haven’t made pasta in awhile, mostly due to the sheer volume of leftovers any dish commands. But Brad and Bishop the Basils are growing rapidfire and I wanted to make a batch of pesto with some random bits and bobs in my fridge – so hence, this creamy, Easy Pesto Pasta Carbonara was born.
I enjoy carbonara because of how uncomplicated it is. Luscious, creamy, but not ridiculously heavy, involves no additional pan heatage (yes, that’s a word now) and takes little time to cook. And less time to eat.
Carb(onara) Loading
I love to make homemade pesto for this dish, or pretty much any other dish calling for it.
I often whip up a batch of my favorite Greek pesto, but I didn’t have everything when I cooked the carbonara so I sufficed with a more traditional but still not-entirely-traditional formula. Lots of basil, a bit of cilantro (or more basil, if you please), arugula, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon, and olive oil. To make this recipe even quicker, use your favorite store brand. I like Trader Joes’ vegan kale pesto.
Otherwise, grab a few eggs out of your fridge and grate lots of fresh parmesan. I bring those to room temp by pulling them before I make the pesto.
Whisk up the eggs with some of the pesto – you will have a good bit left – parmesan, and black pepper. You can add a pinch of salt too but I usually omit it since parmesan and my personality are both salty enough.
Pawsta
Then, the rest is a snap. Boil some pasta – spaghetti is traditional, but use your favorite. Drain most of the water except about one cup.
Chuck the noodles back in the hot pot, and very quickly toss the egg mixture into the noods. The rapidity is key to prevent any curdling while the eggs cook and the sauce thickens around the starches.
The result is a creamy, almost soup-like sauce. So wonderful.
Pancetta and regular bacon are the usual suspects in most carbonara recipes, but in my typical veggie fashion, I like to add some crispy coconut bacon. I’ve kept a batch around consistently for some time. If you want to make your own, I’d start it before beginning with the rest of the dish to allow extra cooling time. I’ve provided my formula in the recipe card!
The final touch to each bowl is a dash of fresh basil and some grated parmesan, as well as the baconesque accompaniment of choice. I serve mine with steamed broccoli for some veggie, and shrimp or chicken depending on what’s in the house (chicken for J, shrimp for me or both of us).
Boom. Dinner in your hands in a half hour or less. Score!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
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easy pesto pasta carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti, or pasta of choice
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- 1/2 cup coconut bacon (or regular, crumbled)
- fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese,to garnish
basil pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup arugula
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (0r more basil)
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- To make the pesto, in the bowl of a food processor combine the basil, arugula, cilantro, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. With the mixer running, stream in the olive oil until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- In a bowl, whisk together the pesto, eggs, parmesan, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain. Add the hot pasta back to the pot. Pour in the pesto-egg mixture and toss vigorously until creamy. Add pasta water as needed to create a sauce.
- Divide pasta among bowls. Sprinkle crumbled coconut or regular bacon on top, sprinkle parmesan, and finish with fresh basil.
