Lemony Courgette Carbonara
This lemony courgette carbonara is not traditional but it is so delicious. The base of the sauce is like a carbonara but the addition of lemon and courgette makes it fresh and light.
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large courgette sliced into thin noodles with a julienne peeler
- 200 g linguine
- 3 garlic cloves finely sliced
- 1/2 large bunch basil finely sliced, keep any smaller leaves to garnish
- 80 g pecorino
- Salt & pepper
- 1/2 lemon zest, or use more to taste
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
- In a pan over medium heat, sauté garlic for 30 seconds, then add courgette and cook for 2-3 mins more until soft but not coloured. Makes sure to season well.
- Get a large pot of salted water on to boil and add the linguine when boiling. Cook until al dente. You want it to still have quite a bit of bite to it when you remove it from the water as it will finish cooking in the sauce. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add most of the cheese, reserving about a handful. Add 1 ladle of pasta cooking water to egg mix and mix well.
- Once cooked, add the pasta to the courgettes in the pan. Toss it all together and then turn off the heat. Pour in the egg mixture and give it a really good stir. Add more pasta cooking water to form a sauce and it will thicken slightly. Add the remaining cheese, basil and lemon zest and give it a final toss.
- Scoop into plates and serve with a little more cheese and a few basil leaves for garnish.
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make courgette carbonara.
To store: This pasta is best fresh but if needed, transfer to an airtight container for 3 days and keep in the fridge.
To reheat: Add to a pan over medium heat with a knob of butter. Stir frequently, tossing together until it's smooth and creamy again. Otherwise, the microwave for 1-2 minutes is a good option but it won't be as luscious and creamy again.
To freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Make it spicy - add a pinch of chilli flakes or fresh chilli when frying the garlic to add a good level of heat to your pasta.
Pecorino - use parmesan if that is what you have on hand. Any hard Italian cheese should work. If making for vegetarians, make sure you check the label on the packaging.
Pasta water: get into the habit of saving the pasta water when you drain your pasta. In this recipe, the starchy pasta water is a key ingredient to make the sauce silky and smooth.
Linguine - use whatever shape you like. I find a long pasta is delicious here as the sauce is so smooth and silky but any shape will work.
Vegetables - this courgette carbonara would also be very good with some chopped asparagus or a handful of baby spinach. Add it in at the same time or in place of the courgette.
Add bacon - adding crispy bacon would be really good. Fry the bacon then add the garlic and courgette to the pan as the recipe states. Otherwise, this is a delicious vegetarian recipe.
Herbs - swap the basil for parsley or chives if that's your preference. It would also be good with mint too since mint, lemon and courgette are a lovely pairing.