Carbonara pasta with asparagus and smoked trout

• 5 minutes to prepare • 15 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

10 MINUTES

Eggs, cheese, bacon and black pepper.
These are the ingredients that go into pasta carbonara, a classic Italian dish that's a real crowd pleaser.

But sometimes, you need a twist on classic recipes. And I could not resist this tempting first course, listed among Cucchiaio's.
It is quite a brave variation, similar but not faithful to the original dish: smoked trout instead of bacon, egg and Parmesan cheese...with asparagus, donating freshness and balancing them all.

Trust me, it is delicious!


Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

 

400 g Penne pasta
300 g asparagus
2  eggs
100 g smoked trout fish fillet
50 g grated Parmesan cheese
EVO oil
salt and pepper

1. Rinse the asparagus under cool water to remove any grit. Snap off the bottom inch using your fingers; the stems will naturally break where the tough woody part ends and the tender stem begins
2. Peel asparagus' tough outer skin
3. Pour 1 l of water in a large pot and bring to boil. As soon as the water boils, dip asparagus in the pot, and go on with the cooking for about 5 minutes
4. Drain asparagus' and place them on a cutting board. Separate the stems from the tips, then cut the stems into small pieces
5. Pour 2 tablespoons of EVO oil in a pan and, when it is hot, braise asparagus for a couple of minutes
6. Cut smoked trout fillet into pieces
7. Boil water in a pot, add salt and once started to bubble, pour Penne pasta. Make them cook for about 10 minutes (pleas refer to the cooking time specified on the package)
8. Place eggs in a bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly with a fork
9. Strain the Penne and transfer it immediately to the pan with the asparagus. Add the smoked trout and toss it. Then, turn off the heat
10. Add the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta while stirring in the remaining pasta water to help thin the sauce
11. Top with abundant freshly ground pepper...Buon appetito!

In the following, Nutrition Facts of this dish are indicated. Data is provided per serving.

I wish I was an author, to write a twist in this plot.