How to Make Pasta Carbonara With Summer Squash
It’s so easy to just leave the pasta cooking to the Italians, but what if we told you that you could replicate a classic Italian dish in your own home kitchen, no culinary education or Italian background needed?
After many years of believing there was some complicated restaurant secret to this lush, creamy pasta dish with bacon and parmesan cheese, we finally learned that it is one of the most satisfying Italian pastas to master at home.
Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish whose secret lies in only four ingredients – eggs, cheese, bacon, and black pepper – is so simple it seems incredibly complicated to make. After all, how do you create such a creamy, rich sauce with so little ingredients?
The magic is that the eggs are lightly cooked when tossed with hot pasta to form a smooth, rich sauce.
That is seriously all it takes. But don’t just take our word for it. See it in action here:
How to Make Pasta Carbonara
Pasta carbonara is a classic Italian dish and it's so easy to make!
Now that you have mastered how to make this classic Italian dish, try customizing it to your taste by adding different ingredients. As much as we love the classic version, we like to mix its rich indulgence with just the right dose of healthy – some extra veggies!
Try our healthier, lighter, veggie-packed version, Summer Spaghetti Carbonara, which was featured in our meal plan service just this past week. Tossed with summer squash and sweet peas, and topped with fresh basil, this is one summer meal that you can certainly feel good about eating.
Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe with Summer Squash:
Italian carbonara is one of those dishes that comes together like magic. Very hot pasta gently cooks eggs to transform them into a rich creamy sauce. A crumble of bacon gives it savory crunch. This version gets a lighter, summer twist with peas, squash and a topping of fresh basil.
Prepping Smarts
- Learn how to chop summer squash and chiffonade (slice) basil with our prep videos:
How to Chop Zucchini
Learn how to cube zucchini with this short video.
How to Chiffonade Basil and Mint
Watch this video to learn how to chiffonade basil or mint - chopping into tiny ribbons for a garnish.
Equipment Smarts
- Saucepan – to cook the pasta, but also a very useful tool to have in the kitchen
- Large skillet – good for tossing together the pasta, creamy sauce, and bacon
- Tongs – makes it easier to toss the pasta and sauce quickly and efficiently without scrambling the eggs in the sauce, but you can also use two forks
For more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools
Get more helpful cooking tips and resources by signing up for our newsletter below. We send out weekly emails that will help you improve in the kitchen and live a healthier life, so join our community today and start cooking smarter!
