Minted pea and lemon carbonara
Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Stuart West
Minted pea and lemon carbonara
Our seasonal, veggie twist on the Italian classic is full of good-for-you summery greens and can be rustled up in minutes
Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
560Kcal
Fat
21gr
Saturates
8gr
Carbs
60gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
7gr
Protein
30gr
Salt
0.6gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 medium egg, plus 2 egg yolks
- zest and juice of 1⁄2 lemon
- 50g pecorino cheese, finely grated (use vegetarian cheese, if required)
- 150g spaghetti
- 1⁄2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium courgette, coarsely grated
- 75g frozen peas
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- small handful mint, leaves shredded
Step by step
Test kitchen tip
A traditional carbonara doesn’t contain cream. Instead, egg yolks and the pasta-cooking water are used to create a rich, silky sauce. Use room temperature eggs to avoid a clumpy sauce and add them to the pasta off the heat, so that they don’t scramble.
- Whisk together the whole egg, egg yolks, lemon zest and juice in a small bowl, then stir in two-thirds of the grated cheese. Season well with ground black pepper and a small pinch of salt.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente; about 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and soften the grated courgette over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, seasoning lightly. Add the frozen peas and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring.
- Reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti. Add the hot pasta to the pan of courgettes, remove from the heat and add the egg mixture off the heat, stirring constantly. If necessary, add just enough of the reserved cooking water to create a glossy sauce that coats the strands of spaghetti.
- Stir in the shredded mint and divide between warm bowls. Scatter over the remaining grated cheese, to serve.
