Neo-Carbonara

The Prelude

So, being a non-meat-eater, I've spent countless hours drooling over the photos of pasta carbonara on various food-blogs, with no hope in sight. It's that damn pancetta; it makes the dish but no matter how you slice it, it's meat. I had settled on having to just live with my over-active salivary gland and suck it up (no pun intended). It seemed that life might just go on being carbonara-less. And then....

The Light Goes On

'Wait a sec, what about last night's salmon?' says Eiji. 'Maybe I could do carbonara with a twist. And since salmon isn't exactly conventional, screw it, I'm going with whole-wheat pasta. A modern day, truly healthy version of that Italian classic.'

'Hang on, healthy?' says Ai. 'What, are you gonna use soy milk instead of cream?!'

Eiji: 'You won't trick me that easily. Everyone knows that real carbonara isn't made with cream. It's the eggs that make it so thick and rich. It's all in your cooking technique. You have to make sure the eggs don't fully cook. And, now they are saying that eggs aren't even bad for you. So ha!'

Ai: 'And even I will concede that a little cheese never hurt anyone.'

Eiji: 'We'll call it.........neo-carbonara."

Ai: 'Let's give it a French twist. Car-bonne-ara. Ha ha!'

[Silence]

Eiji:'Uh, ya. Lame.'

The Revolution is Nigh

So I settled on a healthy carbonara and was it ever fantastic. I feel light and healthy after eating it to boot.

• Quarter size bundle of whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• Salt for pasta water
  
• 1 - Clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp - Olive oil
  
• 1/2 Cup - Cooked salmon, crumbled
• 1 or 2 - Organic, grade A eggs
  
• 1/3 Cup - Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 Cup - leftover pasta water
  
• 2 Tbsp - Finely chopped parsley
• More cheese for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy pan on medium heat.
   
   
2. Whisk together the eggs, parmigiano, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Finely chop garlic. Set aside.
   
   
4. Finely chop parsley. Set aside.
   
   
5. Add pasta to boiling water. Stir at first to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. While pasta is cooking, add oil and garlic to pan. Stir to prevent garlic from burning.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. About half-way through cooking pasta, crank the heat of the garlic up to medium-high and add the salmon. Stir constantly. The salmon should get nice and crispy.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. When pasta is al dente, ladle about 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the pan; quickly add the noodles to the pan. Add the parsley. Stir to coat the noodles.
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and remove from heat. Stir constantly until just before the eggs coagulate. You will know it is time to stop the cooking when the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Plate the pasta. Garnish with more grated parmigiano.
    
    
    

NOTE: A word of warning. Undercooked eggs pose a risk of salmonella poisoning. Be sure to use well refrigerated, fresh, organic, Grade A eggs. Always inform people you are serving them undercooked eggs, as people with weak immune systems may be more susceptible to food-borne illnesses.

And there you have it. You've just made a dish that tastes rich, creamy, and artery coating but is in fact quite healthy and light.

Speaking of healthy and light, I must sign off to go be exactly the opposite. I have a batch of Fleur de Sel Caramels setting as a I type. I believe they should be just about ready to eat. Expect details soon!

Here is the printer friendly version of the recipe:

• Quarter size bundle of whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• Salt for pasta water
  
• 1 - Clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp - Olive oil
  
• 1/2 Cup - Cooked salmon, crumbled
• 1 or 2 - Organic, grade A eggs
  
• 1/3 Cup - Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 Cup - leftover pasta water
  
• 2 Tbsp - Finely chopped parsley
• More cheese for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy pan on medium heat.
   
   
2. Whisk together the eggs, parmigiano, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
   
   
3. Finely chop garlic. Set aside.
   
   
4. Finely chop parsley. Set aside.
   
   
5. Add pasta to boiling water. Stir at first to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom.
   
   
6. While pasta is cooking, add oil and garlic to pan. Stir to prevent garlic from burning.
   
   
7. About half-way through cooking pasta, crank the heat of the garlic up to medium-high and add the salmon. Stir constantly. The salmon should get nice and crispy.
   
   
8. When pasta is al dente, ladle about 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the pan; quickly add the noodles to the pan. Add the parsley. Stir to coat the noodles.
   
   
9. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and remove from heat. Stir constantly until just before the eggs coagulate. You will know it is time to stop the cooking when the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
   
   
10. Plate the pasta. Garnish with more grated parmigiano.