You can’t go wrong with a classic pasta carbonara recipe. There are a few tips to make the creamy egg-based sauce perfect, but once you get it right it’s the best kind of comfort food. Since I love the combination of brussels sprouts and bacon, I thought they would be a great addition to this easy recipe. Pile your noodles high in a bowl, find your favorite show on Netflix, and you’ve got a perfect little cozy evening ahead. You can use whatever kind of pasta you want in this dish, but I love a long skinny noodle like spaghetti or bucatini.
First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook until just shy of al dente. The pasta will cook a little more in the sauce and you want it to be al dente once it’s done cooking in the sauce. While the pasta is cooking, shred one pound of brussels sprouts using your food processor. Chop your bacon and place in a skillet to brown. Once browned you’ll remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and add the brussels sprouts. Cook for a minute or two until softened, but they can still have a little crunch. When your pasta is done cooking, remove 2 cups of the pasta water before draining the pasta. You may not need all two cups of the pasta water but you will need at least one and it’s better to have a little extra just in case!
The sauce for the pasta is simple, but it’s important to get right or the eggs will scramble when added to the pasta instead of giving you the smooth, silky sauce that you’re looking for. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together four egg yolks and two whole eggs. Add a heaping half a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. It’s important to use freshly grated cheese as pre-shredded packaged cheese will have additives that will not allow it to melt as well into the sauce. To your egg and cheese mixture, add some freshly ground black pepper. As you are whisking this mixture, drizzle in half a cup of the reserved pasta water.
Return the pasta to the pot and while you’re constantly tossing it with tongs and the pot is over low heat, drizzle in the egg, cheese, pasta water mixture. You want to be constantly tossing the pasta to give you the perfect creamy sauce. The sauce will thicken as you toss. Add the cooked bacon and brussels sprouts to the pasta and toss again to combine. If you need to thin the sauce more, drizzle in additional pasta water while tossing the pasta. Serve immediately topped with additional parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread or garlic bread and enjoy this easy pasta carbonara any day of the week!
- 1 lb. spaghetti or bucatini pasta
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts, shredded
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 whole eggs
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for topping
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper + more for topping
- ½ tsp. salt
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet. Add the bacon and cook until browned, then add the shredded brussels sprouts and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat when done cooking.
- Now, make your sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the four egg yolks and two whole eggs. Add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and whisk again.
- While constantly whisking, drizzle in ½ cup of the reserved pasta water.
- Return the pasta to the pot over low heat. While constantly tossing the pasta, drizzle in the egg-cheese-past water mixture. The sauce will thicken as it cooks and coats the noodles.
- Add the brussels sprouts and bacon mixture and toss again. If you need to thicken the sauce, drizzle in additional pasta water. I typically add another ¾ cup to a cup of pasta water.
- Serve immediately topped with additional parmesan cheese and black pepper.
- Enjoy!
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