Broccoli bacon pasta carbonara is an inexpensive yet impressive meal, made with fresh broccoli, thick-cut pepper bacon, eggs, and plenty of cheese. Broccoli Bacon Carbonara offers a refreshingly different spin on the classic spaghetti carbonara. This post is sponsored by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. All opinions are my own.
One of the most popular recipes here on Comfortably Domestic for the past several years running has been my Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo because it’s so fancy and decadent “that it puts restaurant pasta to shame.” I’m not bragging here Friends–that’s an exact quote from a sweet Reader that has placed that particular recipe into her regular dinner rotation. Now, that’s high praise!
The Cajun Alfredo recipe evolved over time and quickly became a treasured family favorite that’s reserved for Bacon Slayer & my in-house Date Nights. I call it a reserved recipe because it’s a tad labor intensive. Oh, and the kitchen looks like a tornado came through it by the time dinner is served. (Totally worth it by the way.) It’s a great recipe and all, but sometimes (read: most of the time) I crave a better-than-restaurant quality pasta, but I don’t have the time nor inclination to tear up the kitchen in the process.
Don’t get me wrong…I understand that regular Date Nights are an important component of a healthy marriage. I believe that putting forth a little extra effort into a fancy-ish dinner in the name of reconnecting with my spouse is definitely worth it. However, if I can set the same tone with a fancy-ish dinner that doesn’t destroy the kitchen in the process, then I’m all for it!
A nice dinner doesn’t have to leave the kitchen looking like an episode of Storm Chasers was filming there. Really! Less mess in the aftermath means that Bacon Slayer and I won’t spend a chunk of the evening cleaning up. That way, we won’t be too weary to talk by the time we finish.
Hey now–don’t laugh! We’re raising four boys–boys are exhausting!
Instead, I can make Broccoli Bacon Pasta Carbonara–it’s quick, it’s delicious, and it doesn’t require every pot, pan, and bowl in the cupboard to make it.
Afterward, all we have to do is take a few minutes to tidy up, tuck the kiddos into bed, and commence with the reconnecting part of our evening.
Like sitting down and putting our feet up for the first time all day.
Or watching a movie that has real people in it rather than animated actors.
Or maybe even carrying on an adult conversation without being interrupted to discuss the intricacies of new Lego designs? How about fielding any of the other seemingly endless hypothetical questions that need to be answered real-quick-right-now!
Sigh. I love Date Night! I also like to stay awake afterward to enjoy it.
Which is exactly where Broccoli Bacon Carbonara comes in. Spaghetti carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish in a simple sauce of eggs, cream, cheese, and bacon. I took the basic idea of spaghetti carbonara–then kicked it up a notch. I add plenty of broccoli and thick-cut pepper bacon to my carbonara!
The resulting Broccoli Bacon Carbonara is perfect pasta with crispy bits of bacon and bright green vegetables, swimming in a light, creamy cheese sauce that finishes with just the slightest twinge of pepper.
Start to finish, Broccoli Bacon Carbonara is a Date Night delicacy that is ready in about 30 minutes. Upon first bite, Bacon Slayer and the Sons declared this meal to be Our New Most Favorite Pasta Ever. In fact, due to popular demand we’ve eaten this very meal three times in the past ten days. It’s just that good!
Make Broccoli Bacon Pasta Carbonara the next time you want to reconnect with a loved one over a special meal.
Or even when you crave an inexpensive, impressive dinner that’s ready in a flash. Heck, if you’re feeling guilty about the minimal effort involved, do what I do and bust out the red-checked table cloth to really set the mood. Yours efforts will be rewarded.
♥♥♥
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 4
Broccoli Bacon Pasta CarbonaraAn inexpensive yet impressive meal made with fresh broccoli, thick-cut pepper bacon, eggs, and plenty cheese. Broccoli Bacon Carbonara offers a refreshingly different spin on the classic spaghetti carbonara. Cost per Serving: $1.30
15 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
35 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dried linguine
- 1 Tbs. kosher salt
- 6 slices thick-cut pepper bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- ¼ C. yellow onion, peeled & minced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
- 3 large eggs
- ½ C. 2% Milk
- 1 C. Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided
- 1 ½ C. fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt and linguine, and finishing cooking the pasta according to package directions to reach an “al dente” texture.
- While the pasta is cooking, fry the pepper bacon pieces in a skillet set over medium heat until crisp. Turn off the heat. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extraneous drippings. Pour the excess bacon drippings from the skillet into a glass jar and refrigerate for another use. Do not wipe out the skillet—it should glisten with the remaining drippings.
- Return the skillet to stove set on medium-low heat and sauté the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic to the softened onions, continuing to sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, and top the crisped bacon with the onions and garlic.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs into the milk until they’re well incorporated and the mixture is a fluid, sunny yellow color. By this time, the linguine should be finished cooking. Remove the pasta pot from the heat and scoop it out of the pot into a large colander to drain. DO NOT pour out the pasta water! A large pasta scoop works well to remove the pasta from the water.
- Toss the broccoli florets into the hot pasta water to blanch for 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, dump the hot, drained linguine into a large bowl. Slowly drizzle the milk/egg mixture over the hot pasta, while simultaneously turning the pasta quickly with a pair of tongs to coat. Once all of the milk/egg mixture has been added to the pasta, sprinkle ¾ cups of the Parmesan cheese over it and continue to rapidly toss the pasta. The heat of the linguine will cook the eggs as the pasta is tossed, so keep it up for a couple of minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the blanched broccoli to the pasta bowl. Add the onions, garlic, and crisp bacon to the bowl, and continue tossing the linguine until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste a piece of the saucy linguine. Adjust the flavor to taste with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve immediately with the reserved Parmesan cheese.
7.8.1.2248https://comfortablydomestic.com/2014/03/broccoli-bacon-carbonara/
Comfortably Domestic - 2016
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 4
An inexpensive yet impressive meal made with fresh broccoli, thick-cut pepper bacon, eggs, and plenty cheese. Broccoli Bacon Carbonara offers a refreshingly different spin on the classic spaghetti carbonara. Cost per Serving: $1.30
15 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
35 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 16 oz. dried linguine
- 1 Tbs. kosher salt
- 6 slices thick-cut pepper bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- ¼ C. yellow onion, peeled & minced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
- 3 large eggs
- ½ C. 2% Milk
- 1 C. Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided
- 1 ½ C. fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt and linguine, and finishing cooking the pasta according to package directions to reach an “al dente” texture.
- While the pasta is cooking, fry the pepper bacon pieces in a skillet set over medium heat until crisp. Turn off the heat. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extraneous drippings. Pour the excess bacon drippings from the skillet into a glass jar and refrigerate for another use. Do not wipe out the skillet—it should glisten with the remaining drippings.
- Return the skillet to stove set on medium-low heat and sauté the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic to the softened onions, continuing to sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, and top the crisped bacon with the onions and garlic.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs into the milk until they’re well incorporated and the mixture is a fluid, sunny yellow color. By this time, the linguine should be finished cooking. Remove the pasta pot from the heat and scoop it out of the pot into a large colander to drain. DO NOT pour out the pasta water! A large pasta scoop works well to remove the pasta from the water.
- Toss the broccoli florets into the hot pasta water to blanch for 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, dump the hot, drained linguine into a large bowl. Slowly drizzle the milk/egg mixture over the hot pasta, while simultaneously turning the pasta quickly with a pair of tongs to coat. Once all of the milk/egg mixture has been added to the pasta, sprinkle ¾ cups of the Parmesan cheese over it and continue to rapidly toss the pasta. The heat of the linguine will cook the eggs as the pasta is tossed, so keep it up for a couple of minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the blanched broccoli to the pasta bowl. Add the onions, garlic, and crisp bacon to the bowl, and continue tossing the linguine until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste a piece of the saucy linguine. Adjust the flavor to taste with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve immediately with the reserved Parmesan cheese.
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