Courgette
BY Pippa Cole
What? A carbonara without pancetta? Is that even a carbonara? I hear you cry. Well, as much as I think almost anything is improved by the addition of a little smoky pancetta, this is a surprisingly satisfying vegetarian version, with all the eggy richness of the carnivorous original. For many of us, a carbonara is a cream covered pasta dish of bacon, mushrooms and, dare I say it, peas. Not in Italy. A carbonara of this kind would have late, great masters of Italian cuisine turning in their graves. True carbonara consists merely of spaghetti, onions or shallots, plenty of egg yolk, parmesan, pancetta and a little salt and pepper. Looking at it this way, my veggie version only swaps out one ingredient! It is an incredibly simple recipe, perfect for spring, and healthier than the original! You can also cook the courgettes in the time it takes for the pasta to cook, so it can be on the table in little over ten minutes.
Ingredients serves 2
140g spaghetti
1 courgette, grated (grate lengthways so as to get larger strips - if they're too small they'll become watery)
1 shallot, finely sliced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (don’t worry if you can only get regular olive oil)
1 egg
Pinch of salt and pepper
Parmesan, to serve
step one
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
step two
Whilst the pasta is cooking, fry off the oil and shallot on a medium heat.
step three
After a minute or two (once the shallot is slightly softened and the oil is sizzling) add the courgette and fry for a further 5 minutes or so.
step four
Beat the egg with the salt and pepper.
step five
Once cooked, drain the pasta and turn the heat off under the courgettes.
step six
Pour the pasta into the courgette pan and combine, then pour in the egg and stir to make sure it coats all the pasta.
step seven
Serve with a generous grating of parmesan.
Carbonara
Photography: Daniel Kulinski - Flickr
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