BLT Pasta Carbonara

The addition of summer tomatoes and spinach to this traditional dish brings things to a whole new level. The trick to the recipe is preparation, have all the ingredients ready to go as it comes together as quickly as it takes to boil the pasta.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 432 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ pound sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 13 ½ ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook, stirring occasionally until crisp and fat has rendered, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour bacon fat into a small bowl and set aside, but do not wash the skillet.

Step 3

Mix Parmesan cheese, eggs, egg yolk, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper together in a bowl.

Step 4

Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain into a colander set over a large, heatproof bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and pour the rest out, keeping the now-heated bowl in place.

Step 5

Return 1 teaspoon reserved bacon fat to the large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Cook 30 seconds more and add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through but not falling apart, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach.

Step 6

Add cooked bacon, cooked tomato mixture, and cooked pasta to the heated bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water into the egg mixture. Pour this over the pasta mixture in the bowl and toss for 3 minutes. Thin sauce if necessary by adding additional reserved cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese.