Spaghetti Carbonara With Broccoli and Corn

Photo: *Benoît Levac; Food Stylist: Marie-Éve Charron; Prop Stylist: Irène Garavelli.

Serves:
6 to 8
From:
Bonnie Stern and Fran Berkoff

Broccoli and corn gives this recipe quite the fibre punch. The black pepper, parsley and bacon add just enough kick to keep your tastebuds wanting more.

Ingredients

1 lb (500 g) spaghetti
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into ½-in (1-cm) pieces
1 cup (250 mL) raw corn, cut from the cob
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
4 oz (125 g) bacon, diced
3 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) salt, or to taste
½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
¾ cup (175 mL) grated Parmesan (preferably parmigiano reggiano)
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 minutes. Add broccoli to the pot and continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the spaghetti and broc­coli are tender. Add corn (to heat it), then drain.
  2. Meanwhile (as the spa­ghetti is cooking), heat olive oil in a large skillet and add bacon. Cook until bacon renders most of its fat and starts to brown.
  3. In a large shallow serv­ing bowl, beat eggs to­gether with salt, pepper and half of the cheese.
  4. Once pasta is drained, immediately add it (along with broc­coli and corn) to eggs. Toss well. Then toss in bacon and some of the drippings. Add salt, pep­per and remain­ing cheese; toss well, again. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve promptly.

Bonnie says: This fam­ous Italian pasta dish, likely named for the coal ­miners, always contains lots of freshly ground black pepper, which resembles coal dust. I like to use thickly sliced, double-smoked bacon for lots of flavour (but don’t overdo it, to keep fat in check). I also love adding vege­tables, though they’re not part of the traditional recipe.
 
Fran says: Broccoli and corn add fibre to this dish—1 serving provides nearly 4 grams. Add even more fibre by using whole wheat pasta. Corn also adds folate, potas­sium and thia­mine and is a good source of lutein, an anti­oxidant that helps lower the risk of developing macular degeneration.

*Photo by Benoît Levac

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