Asparagus Ribbon Pasta with Pancetta

A creamy spring pasta inspired by carbonara—softer, silkier, and made my way

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 400g spaghetti

• 1 bundle asparagus (about 12 spears)

• 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan

• 3–4 egg yolks

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 2 tbsp butter

• 150–200g diced pancetta

Instructions:

1. Prep the asparagus Use a potato peeler to shave the asparagus into thin ribbons. Once it becomes too thin to peel, finely slice the remaining core.

2. Start the pasta Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.

3. Build the base flavor While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the diced pancetta, garlic, and asparagus ribbons. Cook gently, stirring frequently, allowing everything to soften and the asparagus to absorb the flavor of the butter, pancetta, and garlic.

4. Make the sauce base In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Parmesan, and a generous amount of black pepper.

5. Transfer the pasta (no draining) When the pasta is al dente, use tongs to transfer it directly from the pot into the pan with the pancetta and asparagus. Don’t worry if some pasta water comes along—that’s exactly what you want.

6. Create the sauce Turn off the heat. Add the egg and cheese mixture along with the heavy cream. Toss continuously, adding a little extra pasta water as needed, until the sauce becomes smooth, glossy, and coats the pasta without scrambling the eggs.

7. Finish & serve Plate immediately and top with extra Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.

8. Enjoy!