Jamie Oliver said the addition of “beautiful chestnuts” brings about a “nutty, crumbly and savoury” flavour to his carbonara recipe.
“Oh my days, why has it taken me so long to infiltrate one of my favourite pasta dishes with beautiful chestnuts?” he queried.
The British chef’s carbonara recipe also has smoky pancetta, creamy pecorino and a black pepper sauce.
Ready to serve in as little as 15 minutes, the chestnut carbonara is a quick dish that is sure to taste delicious.
Here’s how to make Jamie Oliver’s chestnut carbonara that will be a repeat favourite for meat lovers.
Chestnut carbonara recipe
- Serves: two people
- Cooks in: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 150g pasta
- Three rashers of smoked pancetta or streaky bacon
- 180g vacuum-packed chestnuts
- Four large free-range eggs
- 20g pecorino or Parmesan, plus extra to serve
Method
Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water.
With a tablespoon of hot oil in a large non-stick frying pain on medium heat, sizzle the (finely sliced or diced) pancetta.
Once sizzling, crumble in the chestnuts, a pinch of black pepper, and then stir regularly until golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a bowl, then finely grate in the cheese and mix together.
Tip the drained pasta into the chestnut and pancetta pan, then remove from the heat and wait two minutes for the pan to cool slightly.
Loosen the egg mixture with a splash of the reserved pasta water, then pour the egg mixture over the pasta, tossing with a pair of tongs. Season and serve with more grated cheese on top.
