Roasted Asparagus and Pancetta Carbonara

Time for April's Improv Cooking Challenge!

The theme for this month is asparagus and egg- a perfect combo for spring! I initially thought about doing a simple salad with roasted asparagus, a poached egg and a little cheese, but my family was craving pasta. Ron and I love carbonara and I knew this was a perfect opportunity to mix in one of my favorite spring veggies. I was torn between roasting my asparagus or grilling, but decided that roasting is a little easier (and I was feeling a little lazy), but if you are up for grilling is would be a delicious adaption. I loved the fresh flavors from the roasted asparagus, the rich pasta and the wonderfully salty pancetta- this was one amazingly delicious plate of pasta. Kellen, Ron and I gobbled this down in no time flat, and the leftover pasta made fantastic leftover for work lunches the following day. 

One more day till Florida....and I have lots to do- eekkk! I have Kellen pretty set to go, but my clothes are still wet in the washer and suitcase empty (we are going to the beach how much do we really need??).  Tonight, I am finishing my suitcase and I have a volleyball game later in the evening. I am also starting a nice big pot of meat sauce for Ron while I am gone during the week. I also need to finish organizing my freezer because we recently bought a 1/4 of a cow and I have more steaks than I know what to do with (what a horrible problem to have)! Finally, I am hoping to grab an ice cream with my friend Kayla before I leave.... seems like I am going to have a busy night.... 

If you want to join the fun of the Improv Cooking Challenge visit Lesa of Edesia's Notebook for details! 

Stay tuned for next month's recipe using cilantro and lime! 

Ingredients

2 pounds asparagus trimmed 

1 Tbl olive oil
Salt
Black Pepper

4 oz chopped pancetta

 2 small shallots, diced

1 cup  dry white wine

4 eggs

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup cream

1 lb pasta

Instructions

Preheat oven to  350°. Place asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a small amount of salt and black pepper on the asparagus. Roast till al dente, remove from oven and chop into 1-2 inch pieces. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

Place pancetta in a large rimmed skillet and saute till semi-crisp. 

While pancetta cooks, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together cheese, eggs and cream. Set aside. 

Add white wine to the skillet with the pancetta. Allow it to gently simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes. 

Add pasta to pancetta mixture and toss. Remove from heat and add the egg mixtures while quickly tossing the pasta.  Gently stir in the asparagus to warm. Serve immediately. 

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