Pea and Ricotta Carbonara
Creamy ricotta is added to the egg mixture; making this carbonara extra creamy and tasty. Then add crunchy spring peas and you have perfect Pea and Ricotta Carbonara perfect for any night of the week.
The Cherry Blossom festival has been going on for what seems like…
FOREVER!
And that means our commute home in the evening is extended by at least 20 minutes due to all the pedestrians trying to cross major intersections. And can I just say, then it says don’t walk, please don’t go darting across the street in a vain attempt to get to the other side. Just wait for the light to cycle through again. There’s precious few cars that get through that light as it is without you essentially blocking anyone from trying to turn the corner. And don’t get me started on the people that seemed to miss the fact that they’re not allowed to park there after 4pm.
K. Rant over. Thanks!
This means that instead of getting home around 5 ish, we’re getting home around 5:30 ish and when you go to bed at 9 because the alarm goes off at 4, you don’t want to spend an hour making dinner. Yes, I know. That was a really long sentence. But seriously, we have to have quick and easy meals every weeknight so that we’re not eating dinner an hour before bed! This is where having carbonara under your belt comes in really handy.
Carbonara is super quick, delicious, and pretty cheap to make. Just some pasta, some eggs, some cheese and dinner’s ready!
And delicious dinner at that! Just look at all those colors and textures! I honestly couldn’t wait to sit down and eat. Not because I was super tired and starving, but because it just tasted amazing and wanted to devour that creamy goodness from the eggs, ricotta, and Parmesan all mingling together with the pasta and tasty peas.
This time I did remember to make the garlic bread. I have to when I have carbonara on #MeatlessMonday. I know that S will want something a little more than just pasta and sauce; he needs to have some bread to go with his meal. It was delicious garlic bread, too! I put garlic (duh) and some delicious Italian spices on the bread before I put it in the oven. It was the perfect accessory to this meal.
Now, when it says to reserve some of the pasta water, DO IT! You’re stirring and you’re stirring and it’s just not quite getting there as a “sauce” goes. That’s when you add the pasta water! Trust me on this one. Add it like 1/8 cup at a time, but eventually, the sauce will just appear and you’ll have creamy, delicious carbonara.
And make sure you have some shaved Parmesan on hand to garnish with, too. And some parsley or some basil. Or even mint! Peas and mint go well together, or so I hear. Though I don’t know if mint and Parmesan go well together. I guess I’ll just have to try it and see.
Pea and Ricotta Carbonara
Creamy ricotta is added to the egg mixture; making this carbonara extra creamy and tasty. Then add crunchy spring peas and you have perfect Pea and Ricotta Carbonara perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1 cup fresh peas (or frozen peas, thawed)
- 1/2 cup egg substitute (or two large eggs)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions; omitting oil and salt.
- While the pasta is cooking combing the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once the pasta is cooked drain reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the hot pasta, stirring constantly.
- Add pasta water as needed if the sauce is too thick. (I added about a half a cup of pasta water).
- Garnish with some basil and serve with garlic bread.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 382Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 26mgSodium 631mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 21g
Dairy for Dinner
- Alcohol Free Cheese Fondue by That Recipe
- Cheese Burek by Art of Natural Living
- Chicken in Lemon Cream by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Loaded Beer Cheese Potato Soup by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Pea and Ricotta Carbonara by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Scalloped Potatoes by Palatable Pastime
- Southwest Corn and Potato Chowder by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
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How can one possibly make Carbonara without guanciale, pancetta, or bacon? I’m looking to add ricotta to my recipe but no meat?
You make your carbonara how you want and I’ll make it how I want. Did you ever consider those with pork allergies or those following a kosher diet? Probably not. There’s a big huge world with many different people in there. Maybe think about that next time you want to criticize from your keyboard.
Pasta water does amazing things for sauces. My family prefers creamy sauces like this to tomato based ones so we will have to give it a try.
Amen to that! Most don’t know the power of the pasta water.
Oh I’m putting this on the menu this week. I have half a bag of frozen peas and ricotta that needs to be used by Friday! This sounds awesome!
I hope you enjoyed it! I sure did and the hubs cleaned his plate so I guess he did, too.
Why the 2 different parmesan cheese’s?
The more cheese the better, right? The Parm has a nice nutty flavor and the fontinella is nice and sharp. Both are perfect in this dish.
How does the egg mixture cook?
Marlene, it cooks with the heat from the hot pasta. It’s traditional with a carbonara to use the heat from the pasta and/or some of the pasta water to make the sauce.
BOOKMARKED! This looks soooooooo good!
I love pasta and I love carbonara so much 😀
This looks heavenly! I've been craving this particular dish lately. Every once in a while I make fresh ricotta and the next time I do I'm making this.
YUM! Going on the plan for this week!!