light carbonara

Just joking, it's Carbonara - it's probably never going to be light! I did try to lighten this classic up just a bit this time around though. Carbonara is one of those convenient dishes that I always like to whip up when in a pinch. It's certainly filling and very quick to make. The sauce is a mix of egg yolks, cream and Parmesan. You add it to the pasta right before serving along with bacon and peas. You should be able to get everything ready in the eight minutes it takes to cook pasta. Can't go wrong there!

Unfortunately I didn't have any cream this time around, so I decided to sub in yogurt. This worked out better than expected. The yogurt gave the Carbonara a tart flavor, almost as if I'd added a little lemon juice. Definitely noticeably lighter than the original, but certainly not lacking any flavor. I also didn't have any peas, but I did add in some basil. Of course, you can really mix in just about anything you want to this dish. Asparagus, fresh cherry tomatoes, green beans... anything along those lines would work well I think. Just don't forget the bacon - that would obviously be a terrible shame!

Tom's Light(er) Pasta Carbonara (serves 2)
10oz your favorite pasta
4-6 strips thick bacon, cut into small squares
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Salt + Pepper
4 basil leaves, chopped

Directions
Cook your pasta in salty water according to the directions on the box
Cook your bacon to your liking
Mix the egg yolks, yogurt, parm, salt, pepper, and basil in a bowl
Strain the pasta when it is cooked through (save a bit of the pasta water to thin out the sauce if necessary)
Mix everything together, but don't cook the sauce, just let the residual heat do the work

Enjoy!