Carbonara is an Italian dish – likely from Rome – that consists of bacon, eggs, cheese, and pasta. Without the fat of cream, the amazing creaminess of this dish comes from egg yolks. Add a bunch of veggies, and even the Italians would say WOW!
BLT’s are a favourite sandwich in this household, but BLTZ stands for Bacon, Leeks, Tomatoes, and Zucchini.
Since we are only 2 at home fulltime, I often cook more meat than we will use in one meal. I figure that if I have to go thru the motions of cooking once, I want to eat at least twice. So, instead of cooking only 2 chicken breasts, it doesn’t take any more effort to cook four. Or six. The leftover meat can be cut into bite-sized pieces, tossed into a container, labeled, and frozen for future use.
Bring water to a boil for the pasta, and salt liberally. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. When it reaches the “al dente” stage, scoop out some of the starchy water before draining the pasta.
Heat a large frying pan and cook the bacon pieces until almost crisp. Mop up all but a couple tablespoons of the oil with a papertowel.
Add the leeks, garlic, pepper flakes, mushrooms, zucchini, and cooked chicken. Allow these to cook until the leeks are tender and chicken is hot, which should only take about 3-4 minutes.
Add the wine, and reduce by half.
Add the diced plum tomatoes.
While the tomatoes are enjoying a hot wine bath with all those other veggies, beat the egg yolks with a fork in a small bowl. Slowly add some of the hot pasta water – a tablespoon at a time – to temper the yolks, and continue beating with the fork. This might take 4-5 tablespoons of hot water – you don’t want scrambled eggs.
Add the yolk/pasta water mixture to the veggies and meat, and stir until well combined.
Toss the drained pasta in with the vegetables until every noodle is well-coated. Add additional starchy water if the pasta tightens up too much.
Serve with a generous dose of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Easy-peasy. Right?!?
BLTZ Carbonara
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
Description
A quick and easy meal that tastes like you slaved all day over the stove.
Ingredients
- 1 pound brown rice linguine
- 1 pound bacon, cut into 1” pieces
- 2 large leeks, halved, rinsed, and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bit-sized pieces
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 5 plum tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced into ribbons “chiffonade”
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and a generous amount of salt, and cook the pasta. Just before draining, scoop out a cup of the starchy pasta water.
- In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown the bacon until it is almost crispy. Using a paper towel, mop up all but a couple tablespoons of the fat.
- Add the leeks, garlic, pepper flakes, cooked chicken, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cook until the leeks are tender and the chicken is hot.
- Add the wine, and reduce by half, then add the diced plum tomatoes.
- Drain the pasta.
- While everything is simmering together, beat the egg yolk in a small bowl with a fork. Gradually add some of the hot pasta water, a little at a time, to temper the eggs.
- Toss everything together, adding more pasta water if it seems too dry.
- Serve with a generous topping of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Since we eat gluten-free, brown rice linguine is our choice of pasta. Substitute it with whichever pasta you prefer. There is no gluten in the recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
