Pasta carbonara is without a doubt one of the most decadent, indulgent dishes in existence. Bacon, eggs and pasta all in one dish? Low-key elegance at its finest. But if I had one complaint about pasta carbonara, it would be that sometimes, it just feels a little… unhealthy. And heavy. And salty. Okay, so more than one complaint.
The point is that the recipe I’m about to share with you was created one night when I was really craving the creamy, cheesy, comfort food aspect of pasta carbonara (yum), but didn’t want the heavy, unhealthy feeling that frequently comes with eating bacon. So I started thinking, what could I add to this instead of bacon? Can’t just eat eggs and pasta, but surely there must be something that would go well with this.
And of course, the answer was vegetables. Mushrooms, leeks and mustard greens, to be exact. If you’ve never had mustard greens, I highly recommend them. They’re healthy, they add a pop of color to otherwise bland-looking dishes, and they have a hint of spice that adds an unexpected something extra to any meal. Yum.
I really love using mushrooms in this recipe because it opens the door to a bit more complexity of flavor. When cooking mushrooms, one of my favorite things to do is deglaze with a bit of wine – whether that wine is red or white depends on the recipe; in this instance, white wine is the way to go. If you’re not a big fan of using wine in your cooking, that’s also fine – this dish will taste just as good without.
And can’t forget about the leeks. When I first started cooking, I had absolutely no idea what a leek was, let alone how to get it from its weird, stalky self into something that could actually be consumed. If this is your current outlook on leeks, not to worry – they’re actually really easy to deal with. All you do is slice off the bottom (where the roots are) and then slice the stem horizontally (you’ll end up with little circles of leek) until you get up to where the individual layers start
to separate. Then slice each circle in half (you’ll now have half-moons of leek). Rinse thoroughly, and they’re ready to go!
Despite the addition of veggies, this dish is still very simple and quick to prepare. So if you’re looking for a dinner that’s easy to make, relatively healthy, and still embodies comfort food at its finest, look no further!
Pasta Carbonara with a Fresh Twist
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb. fettuccini
- 8 oz. mushrooms
- 2 medium leeks
- 1 cup chopped mustard greens
- Splash of white wine (optional)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 3/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Red pepper flakes (pinch)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Chopped parsley (for topping)
Instructions
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Prepare the veggies: Finely chop the mustard greens and set aside. Then slice the mushrooms (if you're using whole ones) and the leeks. If you're unfamiliar with leeks, slice off the bottom (the part with the roots) and discard. Continue slicing until you reach the part of the leek where it starts to separate. At this point, you'll have little circles of leek. Slice each circle in half and wash the pieces thoroughly before cooking.
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Add the olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
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Add the mushrooms to the pan with the leeks and cook for a couple minutes. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (all to taste) and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated. Once the mushroom liquid is gone, add the wine and the mustard greens and continue to cook until the wine is also evaporated. (The mustard greens will wilt, and while you do want them to cook, you don't want them to get soggy, which is why you add them right at the end.) Remove from heat.
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Meanwhile, cook the fettuccini according to package instructions in a pot of salted water.
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While the fettuccini is still cooking, combine the eggs, the half and half, the cheese, and a shake of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined and set aside.
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Once the fettuccini is done cooking, work quickly to drain it, return it to the pot, and add the egg mixture. Immediately stir to combine. (This step has to be done quickly, because you want the pasta to still be hot enough to cook the egg once the egg is added.)
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Once the eggs and pasta are combined, add the mushrooms and leeks to the mix.
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Top individual servings with the chopped parsley and enjoy!
Yum!! Love how you added the leeks! Beautiful dish (:
Thanks so much! Leeks are the best – so underrated!