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Leek, thyme and pancetta carbonara recipe

Leek, thyme and pancetta carbonara recipe

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We've stirred sweet spring leeks into a classic carbonara for a fresh, fragrant twist on a classic. It's silky, comforting and on the table in 25 minutes – the perfect dinner for two. See method

  • Serves 2
  • Takes 25 mins
  • 729 calories / serving

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 65g diced unsmoked pancetta
  • 3 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm crescents
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3g fresh thyme, leaves picked
  • 1 egg, plus 1 yolk, beaten
  • 60g Parmesan, grated
  • 150g linguine
If you don't have any leeks, try using spring or white onions instead

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    3050kj
    729kcal     36%

  • Fat

    30g 43%

  • Saturates

    11g 53%

  • Sugars

    14g 15%

  • Salt

    1.4g 24%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 71.5g Protein 36.3g Fibre 13.1g

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and fry for 3-4 mins until lightly golden and it has released some oil. Add the leeks, garlic and thyme. Cook for 10-12 mins until the leeks have softened and are just starting to colour; remove from the heat.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the beaten egg and yolk with most of the cheese and a generous grind of pepper. Cook the linguine to pack instructions. Drain, reserving a mugful of the water.
  3. Add the drained pasta to the pancetta with 50ml reserved pasta water and the egg mixture. Working quickly, mix everything together vigorously, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen to a creamy sauce.
  4. Divide the pasta between bowls, topping with the reserved cheese and a grind of black pepper.

See more Pasta recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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