Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara (Jamie Oliver) Recipe

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Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara (Jamie Oliver)
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Directions:

  1. Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that's what really helps to make this dish amazing. I'm using a flowering variegated variety of thyme but normal thyme is fine to use. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with spaghetti or linguine, but I've been told by Italian mammas (who I don't argue with!) that penne is the original, so that's what I'm using in this recipe.
  2. Before you start cooking, it's important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting pan so you can give the pasta a good toss.
  3. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions.
  4. To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
  5. Heat a very large frying pan (a 14-inch is a good start - every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchini is coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.
  6. It's very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you'll scramble the eggs.)
  7. Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straightaway. While you're tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you've managed to get any zucchini flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.
  8. Our agreement with the producers of Jamie at Home only permit us to make 2 recipes per episode available online. Food Network regrets the inconvenience to our viewers and users
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Nutrition Facts

Per ServingPer 100 g
Amount Per 1 Serving
Calories 379.99 Kcal (1591 kJ)
Calories from fat 244.95 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27.22g 42%
Cholesterol 63.81mg 21%
Sodium 947.68mg 39%
Potassium 226.05mg 5%
Total Carbs 13.13g 4%
Sugars 2.41g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4.7g 19%
Protein 18g 36%
Vitamin C 5.8mg 10%
Iron 0.3mg 2%
Calcium 223.3mg 22%
Amount Per 100 g
Calories 188.98 Kcal (791 kJ)
Calories from fat 121.82 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13.54g 42%
Cholesterol 31.73mg 21%
Sodium 471.31mg 39%
Potassium 112.42mg 5%
Total Carbs 6.53g 4%
Sugars 1.2g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2.34g 19%
Protein 8.95g 36%
Vitamin C 2.9mg 10%
Iron 0.2mg 2%
Calcium 111.1mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Tastes

  • salty
  • savory
  • bitter
  • sweet
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Recipe Tags

Weightwatchers Points

  • 9.1
    Points
  • 10
    PointsPlus

Good Points

  • saturated fat free

Bad Points

  • High in Sodium

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