Kale & Lemon Bucatini Carbonara

One of Matt’s favorite dishes that I make is spaghetti carbonara. We have it probably once a week during the fall and winter months because it’s hearty, quick and comforting. Whenever I ask him for requests when I’m making my weekly meal menu, “carbonara” is always his answer. I love making it for him - there’s something so rewarding in preparing a meal for someone and knowing that they truly enjoy it.

In my mind, spaghetti carbonara is more of a fall or winter dish - so I wanted to try and give it more of a summer flair and lighten it up slightly. In this version, I still use bacon and garlicky greens, but I added lemon juice and zest to give it a fresh citrus flavor. I opted to use Tuscan kale as my leafy green, but you have lots of options - spinach, Swiss chard, or arugula would also be amazing.

Another thing I added to this recipe is the garnish of toasted breadcrumbs. I got the inspiration for this from master chef Massimo Bottura, whose restaurant Osteria Francescana is on my bucket list (if I ever win the lottery). In his pesto pasta recipe, he uses breadcrumbs that have been toasted in extra virgin olive oil as opposed to the traditional pine nuts. For this carbonara, the breadcrumbs add a crunchy texture in contrast to the pasta and wilted greens. It’s a game-changer, so don’t leave them out!

It was a little daunting to try and put a spin on a tried-and-true recipe that we love, but we couldn’t be more pleased with the result! This pasta dish is light yet filling, refreshing yet comforting. It does well as a quick, weeknight meal or as a main at your next dinner party. We hope that you love it as much as we do!

Serves: 4-6 | Prep: 30 min. | Cook: 20 min. | Author: Liz Genders

toasted breadcrumbs

half a baguette, sliced

2-3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

kale & lemon bucatini carbonara

1 lb. bucatini pasta (or spaghetti or linguine)

10 slices of uncured bacon

1 Tbs. avocado oil

1 small bunch or 2 1/2 cups of Tuscan kale (also called dino kale), tough stems removed and torn or chopped

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

2 eggs

juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tbs.)

lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

method

Heat oven to 400F. Bake the sliced baguette until crisp. Place bread slices in a sealable plastic bag, and smash with a rolling pin to create crumbs. Pour the crumbs, olive oil and salt into a sauté pan, and cook for a few minutes over medium heat until all the oil is absorbed.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve at least 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the bacon and greens. Place the bacon evenly on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven at 400F for 10-15 minutes, or until they reach your desired crispiness. Remove from oven and cut into small pieces once cool. In a sauté pan on medium-high, pour the 1 Tbs. of avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallot and garlic, stirring often until they become fragrant. Add the kale, some salt and pepper, and sauté until wilted. (You might need to add a little water to the pan if your greens don’t give off a lot of water, I added about 1 Tbs worth to keep everything from browning too much.)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the parmesan cheese and eggs. Temper with a dash of the hot pasta water. Add the cooked, drained pasta, bacon, and greens to the bowl and stir well to coat. At this point, you may want to add more pasta water for a looser, creamier sauce. Add the lemon juice and zest, and stir well again.

Plate the pasta, and garnish with a healthy helping of breadcrumbs.