Lemon Chive Carbonara with Watercress Salad
Creamy carbonara gets lightened up with fresh lemon and chive and served along side watercress salad dressed in balsamic.
Ingredients
Lemon Chive Carbonara
- 12 oz fresh linguine noodles
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup Parmesan grated
- 1/2 lb thick cut bacon cut in lardons
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh chives fine chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley fine chopped
- 1 lemon 1 tbsp juice and zest
Watercress Salad
- 1 bunch watercress rough chopped
- 1 tbsp shallot minced
- 1 tsp brown mustard
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Lemon Chive Carbonara
- Prepare linguine according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a small bowl combine egg yolks and Parmesan.
- Cook bacon lardons over medium heat until fully browned with the majority of the fat rendered. Remove from pan and set aside. Drain grease from pan.
- In same pan that you cooked bacon lardons in, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute garlic for 1 minute, being careful not to brown. Turn off heat. Add prepared linguine, egg yolk mixture, bacon lardons, chives, parsley and lemon zest/juice. Toss to coat. If needed, add spoonful of reserved pasta water to thin.
- Top with more fresh grated Parmesan and serve with watercress salad.
Watercress Salad
- In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, shallot, mustard, sugar and salt/pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Drizzle over watercress.
Notes
Lardons: Thick cut bacon strips cut vertically into small strips.
Serve with Balsamic Flank Steak:
Quick marinade flank steak in balsamic, fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper for about 10 minutes while you wait for grill to heat up. Grill to medium rare with an internal temperature of 140 degrees.