carbonara

by Linda Hopkins

I believe this is the last of the recipes from Anne’s birthday dinner. Don’t you love dragging out birthdays for a month!?!

The peas I used are the same that I used in this recipe for Easter. I found them in the fresh produce section of Trader Joe’s. Since they are only available for a limited time, I bought a few packages and froze them for the long hot summer.

Farfalle Carbonara with Mint and Spring Peas

1 pound farfalle pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1/3 cup whipping cream
4 ounces diced pancetta
5 ounces fresh spring peas (1/2 of the 10-oz package of Trader Joe’s peas)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, julienned
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add about ¼ cup of salt and the farfalle pasta, cook according to the instructions on the package.

Whisk the egg with the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Heat an extra-large skillet and cook pancetta over medium heat until crispy and golden. Leave in skillet.

When the farfalle is nearly cooked, add the peas for 90 seconds. Drain pasta and peas in a colander, saving a cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat up the skillet with the pancetta again and add the pasta and peas to the pancetta in the skillet. Add about half of the julienned mint leaves.

Turn off the heat and quickly add the egg and cream mixture to the pasta, while the pasta is hot so that the residual heat of the pasta will lightly cook the eggs, but not scramble them. The goal is for the pasta to cook the egg enough to produce a smooth sauce. Toss together, while adding a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce, as needed.