Rigatoni Carbonara, with a Spring Twist

A bright twist on the Roman classic

Not to state the obvious, but Spring is such an exciting time of year. Aside from retiring your puffer jacket for the next few months, and seeing the yellows, pinks, and reds of tulips popping up through the once-frosty soil, it's the produce that really puts a pep in my step.

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As good as root vegetables are, there’s only so many stews and roasts you can have until you’re ready for something lighter. Something fresher. And this is when the Spring produce comes into play. Just as the trees start turning green, so do the markets. In March and April, you start to see stalls filled with spring onion, asparagus, wild garlic (ramps), arugula, kale, leeks, peas, and artichokes, just to name a few.

And it’s not just the vegetables that become brighter - Spring also ushers in the yellows, oranges, and pinks of citrus. These fruits uplift savory meals and desserts alike, and bring an excitement to the taste buds.

One of my favorite things to do is to cook with the seasons. Whenever I think about cooking with the seasons, my mind goes straight to Rome - to the bustling markets overflowing with beautiful, colorful produce. Rome has to be one of my favorite cities in the world, and its cuisine definitely has something to do with it. I could talk for hours about the regional food of Rome, but for now, I’ll stick to just one of their most notable dishes: Carbonara.

Carbonara is definitely one of the most controversial Italian dishes, from the argument over whether cream, garlic or onion make an appearance, to the whole egg vs just egg yolk debate. I’ll never forget the day I perfected my first Roman Carbonara, with its silky sauce (not scrambled!) made of eggs yolks, Pecorino Romano, guanciale drippings, and freshly ground black pepper, mixed with crispy guanciale, and tossed with just-before-al dente rigatoni (just as the Romans do).

Italians are pretty staunch believers of tradition and not messing with the classic recipes. I agree with this on some level, however, I also believe that once you perfect the dish as it has meant to be made, you can then start tweaking it to your interests and desire. Also, you will find some contemporary restaurants in Italy blurring the lines of tradition, adding their spin to traditional dishes, inclusive of Carbonara. Variety is the spice of life, after all. Italians are staunch believers of eating with the season, and with this should come room to bend recipes to include the flavors of the month.

I'd love to know: are you a Carbonara purist, or do you like putting your own spin on the classics too? Let me know below!

I did exactly that with my Spring Carbonara. I stuck to the rules of a classic Roman Carbonara and simply incorporated some seasonal vegetables: fava beans, asparagus, and zucchini (it’s not exactly zucchini season yet, but almost). You can also add some artichoke hearts to this dish, but I chose to use the artichoke I had on hand for my crispy stuffed artichoke instead. The asparagus and fava beans are briefly cooked until vibrant green, then tossed through the sauce just before serving, while the zucchini slices are gently fried in olive oil and scattered over the top of the dish.

This Spring Carbonara is so creamy, yet light at the same time. The crispy guanciale brings a punch of saltiness, while the delicate flavors and textures of the vegetables balance the richness of the rest of the ingredients.

I really love how this dish turned out and I am already sad about the thought of not being able to cook it when the stars of Spring are no longer around. Regular ol’ Carbonara will just have to suffice.

Let me know below if you try this one! Hurry, before asparagus season ends.

Buon Appetito,

Bianca xx

P.S. I’ll be adding this dish to my Illustrated Recipes cookbook which I’ll be posting on Instagram and here on Substack. Stay tuned!

Spring Carbonara

A fresh, seasonal take on the Roman classic.

(Serves 4)