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Photo of Spaghetti carbonara with spinach by WW

Spaghetti carbonara with spinach

11
Points®
Total Time
20 min
Prep
13 min
Cook
7 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Carbonara is actually the Italian term for a coal miner. In culinary terms, it describes an Italian pasta dish with a creamy sauce made from eggs, grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, and cured ham. Some folks use bacon but our recipe calls for prosciutto, a thinly sliced cured Italian ham. The carbonara versions made in the United States tend to be much heavier than its Northern Italian cousin, because of the addition of heavy cream. We stick with the lighter, traditional Italian style, and also add spinach to make it a complete meal. Ready in a short 20 minutes, this dish is easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for a dinner party. Use an extra grind of fresh black pepper for a little kick.

Ingredients

Chopped frozen spinach

10 oz, thawed and squeezed dry

Prosciutto

2 oz, thinly sliced, cut into strips

1% low fat milk

¾ cup(s)

Egg

2 large egg(s), lightly beaten

Romano cheese

2 oz, grated

Unsalted butter

1 tsp

Garlic

3 clove(s), minced

Table wine

1½ fl oz, dry vermouth variety

Cooked spaghetti

4 cup(s)

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Instructions

  1. Combine the spinach, milk, eggs, and cheese in a bowl.
  2. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and light golden, 1–2 minutes. Add the prosciutto and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Pour in the vermouth and cook until it almost evaporates, about 30 seconds.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the spaghetti and the spinach mixture. Cook, tossing constantly, until the mixture is just thickened and creamy and the eggs are cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with the pepper. Yields 1 cup per serving.

Notes

Use about 1/2 pound dry spaghetti to get 4 cups cooked.We use prosciutto instead of bacon, because a small amount adds full, rich flavor and little fat to the carbonara. For best flavor, choose prosciutto imported from Italy, such as prosciutto di Parma (also called Parma ham).

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