Ingredients
| 4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten | |
| 50g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve | |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs | |
| 100g pancetta, cut into small pieces | |
| 1 medium fennel bulb (about 200g) with fronds | |
| 2 tablespoons capers | |
| zest of ½ lemon | |
| ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock | |
| 200g asparagus or beans, trimmed and halved crosswise | |
| 200g tagliatelle or pappardelle |
I like to add veges to a traditional-style carbonara; sometimes this is as simple as adding some asparagus or broccoli to the pasta a few minutes before it’s cooked. Braised fennel adds a lovely touch of aniseed that works so well with egg. I would add asparagus when in season, but here I have used more readily available green beans.
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Instructions
| 1. | Whisk together the eggs and parmesan in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. |
| 2. | Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. |
| 3. | Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, casserole or deep frying pan (with a lid) to a medium heat and cook the breadcrumbs for about 5 minutes until golden and crispy. Set aside. |
| 4. | Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan and cook the pancetta for a few minutes until browned and crisp then scoop out and set aside. |
| 5. | Trim the fennel bulb, reserving the fronds, and cut lengthwise into thin wedges. |
| 6. | Put in the pan with the capers and lemon zest. |
| 7. | Pour over the stock, cover and bring to a simmer, then reduce to low and cook for 10-15 minutes until the fennel is tender. |
| 8. | Add the asparagus or beans and toss around to coat with the juices, then cover and cook for a final 5-10 minutes until tender (less time for asparagus, more for beans). |
| 9. | While this cooks, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet instuctions. |
| 10. | Drain, add to the cooked vegetables and mix through for a few minutes to finish cooking and absorb any remaining vegetable cooking juices. |
| 11. | Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the beaten egg mix, stirring constantly so the eggs don’t scramble; they should just cook enough in the residual heat to make a silky sauce. |
| 12. | If you feel the eggs aren’t cooked enough, put the pan over the lowest heat you can and stir gently but constantly to cook a little more. |
| 13. | Serve with the pancetta, breadcrumbs and extra parmesan if liked. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles