Broccoli Carbonara
This vegetarian main is easily adaptable. Use whatever green veggie looks the best in your garden or at the farmer's market. Or you can use thawed frozen broccoli and skip the blanching step!
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, cut into large florets
- 8 oz. dried spaghetti, linguine, or other long strand pasta
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 to 5 eggs
- 1 cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese
- Salt and freshly ground back pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot blanch broccoli in boiling water 3 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath and let cool. Drain and chop. Using the same pot cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted boiling water until al dente, reserving about 1 cup pasta water just before draining.
- In a large skillet combine butter and olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Pat chopped broccoli dry and add to hot skillet. Cook , covered, about 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Whisk about 1/3 cup hot pasta water into the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
- Add drained pasta and egg mixture to the skillet with the broccoli. Place over medium heat. Using tongs, toss mixture together until eggs are thickened, creamy, and just starting to set, adding more pasta water as needed. Top servings with remaining cheese and additional salt and pepper to taste.