Leek carbonara
The oniony kick of leeks adds an richness to classic carbonara. Freeze any left-over egg whites in a small sealed container – they defrost quickly and are handy for making a pavlova or swiss meringue buttercream.
30 MINUTES | SERVES 2 | EASY
cubed pancetta or guanciale 77g
unsalted butter a knob
leeks 2, washed, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
spaghetti 200g
egg yolks 3
parmesan 75g
black peppercorns ground to make 2 tsp
Cook the pancetta in a cold non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp. Scoop out onto a plate using a slotted spoon.
Add the butter and leeks to the pan with a pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook gently for 15-20 minutes or until the leeks are very tender. Stir the pancetta back into the pan. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water following pack instructions.
Whisk together the egg yolks, parmesan and black pepper. When the pasta is nearly done, spoon 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water into the egg mixture and whisk again.
Use a pair of tongs to transfer the spaghetti straight from the water to the leek pan, then reduce the heat to very low. Immediately scrape in the egg mixture and use the tongs to gently toss everything together. Add another splash of the pasta cooking water, if needed to loosen. Continue to toss for 3-4 minutes – the sauce should thicken and cling to the spaghetti, which means the egg yolks are cooked. Divide the carbonara between two bowls and serve.
PER SERVING 806 kcals | fat 34.5G saturates 14.7G | carbs 79.5G | sugars 6.3G fibre 9.6G | protein 39.6G | salt 1.8G