Sprout & chestnut ‘carbonara’
Prep
5 mins
Cook
15 mins
Servings
2
Difficulty
Easy
This is my go to when I'm craving something creamy and indulgent but don't want to spend ages in the kitchen. I've taken the classic carbonara and given it an autumnal twist with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet chestnuts, which are packed with vitamin C to keep your immune system happy. The best bit? The whole thing comes together in just twenty minutes, and I'm using a quality cheese sauce to skip the fiddly egg and cream situation. It's elegant enough for guests but honestly, it's so easy I make it on busy weeknights.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 100 gramssmoked bacon lardons
- 1 tspolive oil
- 2 clove/sgarlic(thinly sliced)
- 200 gramsbrussels sprouts(thinly sliced)
- 100 gramsmerchant gourmet whole chestnuts(roughly chopped)
- 150 gramsbucatini(or other pasta)
- 350 gramstub cheese sauce(tub carbonara with smoked bacon & pancetta sauce)
- 2 tbspparmigiano reggiano
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Put the lardons in a large frying pan set over a medium heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Put the pan back on the heat and add the olive oil, garlic, sprouts and a pinch of salt. Fry for 2 minutes, then add the chestnuts and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- 2
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for the shortest time on the pack instructions. When it is cooked, use tongs to transfer it to the sprout pan with a little of the cooking water. Tip in the lardons, then stir in the carbonara sauce, tossing over a medium-low heat until the pasta is well coated. Add an extra splash of pasta cooking water if needed. Season with plenty of black pepper and sprinkle over the grated cheese to serve.
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