Recipe: carbonara with vegetables

A classic dish with a modern vegetarian twist, a pasta alla carbonara with vegetables! What the classic carbonara is not without bacon (Italian pork belly), we give this pasta dish a vegetarian twist by omitting the bacon and adding vegetables. A nice bonus is that you create a nutritious one-pan dish with much more nutritional value compared to the classic carbonara where you would have to make something in addition to your vegetable intake. Of course, you can also make this dish with bacon.

In this recipe for carbonara with vegetables we use zucchini and red pepper, but make sure you see if you have anything at home that you can use. You can also use other vegetables such as carrots, peas, Eggplant, tomatoes or broccoli florets. This way you avoid having to throw away food.

And although you often see it in recipes for pasta carbonara, cream doesn't belong in it! By mixing the eggs with the cheese and adding a small dash of cooking water, you get a deliciously creamy sauce.

Make sure that as soon as you add the eggs to the pasta, the egg does not solidify. That is why the pan is first removed from the heat, after which the egg mixture is quickly mixed in. If you do it right, the egg will adhere to the pasta and it will be neither scrambled nor runny. Enjoy your meal! 

Ingredients for the carbonara with vegetables

Main course for 4 persons  

• 1 zucchini
• 1 red peppers
• ½ onion
• mild olive oil
• salt and pepper
• splash of water
• 320 grams (whole wheat) penne
• 2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks
• 20 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
• 20 grams pecorino, grated
• a handful of basil leaves

Preparation of the carbonara

1. Wash the zucchini and cut it into small cubes. Remove the stems and seeds from the red pepper and cut the pepper into cubes. Finely chop half the onion.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini and fry the cubes until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Remove the fried zucchini from the pan and place them on a plate. Add a dash of water to the pan and add the pepper and onion. Stew the vegetables until tender, but still crunchy. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
4. In the meantime, cook the penne according to the instructions on the package. Make sure the pasta is al dente. Save a small amount of the cooking water (!).
5. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Beat the eggs in a bowl and mix in the grated Parmesan cheese, pecorino and a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Add a dash of (cooking) water to make the sauce more liquid. Set the mixture aside.
6. Heat the vegetables in a large pan and add the drained pasta and a dash of cooking water.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg mixture well and quickly. The eggs should not solidify.
8. Divide among plates and serve with extra black pepper and grated cheese on the side
9. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra grated cheese.