Pasta With a Nod to Jean

A community recipe by kgw

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Print me

Introduction

Jean was the lady I boarded with when I first went to uni; her recipe for bacon and parsley pasta has evolved into one of my all time favourites. I sometimes substitute other vegetables - snow peas, baby spinach, handful of rocket - if I have no zucchini to hand. I am not great at carbonara, but this is what I cook instead. And, obviously, you can leave out the chicken, its just as nice.

Ingredients

Serves: 3-4

Metric Cups

1 chicken breast (double, skinless - sliced, as for a stir fry)
olive oil
2 rashers bacon (finely sliced)
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
3 button mushrooms (finely sliced)
1 courgette (grated - but see the method first)
1 egg
250 millilitres cream (about)
1 handful fresh flatleaf parsley (chopped)
black pepper (freshly cracked)
400 grams pasta (linguini works well)

1 chicken breast (double, skinless - sliced, as for a stir fry)
olive oil
2 rashers bacon (finely sliced)
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
3 button mushrooms (finely sliced)
1 zucchini (grated - but see the method first)
1 egg
9 fluid ounces cream (about)
1 handful fresh italian parsley (chopped)
black pepper (freshly cracked)
14⅛ ounces pasta (linguini works well)

Method

Pasta With a Nod to Jean is a community recipe submitted by kgw and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Heat the water for cooking the pasta in a large pot. I use a large fry pan or sometimes my work for the sauce, as its big enough to mix it all in at the end.

Add some olive oil to heat fry pan, and fry off chicken in batches until nearly cooked - you're looking for some nice brown bits on the pan but not cooked through chicken as it will go back in the pan later. Set aside in a bowl to be tipped back in in a minute.

Add a little more oil to pan if needed, and throw in bacon, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Fry on medium heat until mushrooms have released their juices, being sure to scrape all the yummy browned chicken bits off the bottom of the pan as you go. Onions should be translucent but not browned for the next step.

Put the pasta on to cook.

Using a hand held grater if you have one (I don't know why, but this is my favourite part of cooking this dish) grate the courgettes directly into the fry pan, and then add the chicken back into the pan as well, giving it a good stir.

Combine the egg, cream and pepper and when lightly beaten, stir in the parsley (keeping a little back for garnish if you're feeling fancy).

When the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of its cooking water before draining.

At the same time, reduce the heat under the fry pan and pour the egg/cream/parsley (and rocket if using) mixture into the chicken/vegetable mix and stir.

Then tip in the drained pasta and continue to stir until the creamy sauce has thickened (but not turned into scrambled eggs - although the dish still tastes fine if it does). Add a bit of the pasta cooking water to slacken if necessary, and serve sprinkled with parsley and some cracked pepper.

Heat the water for cooking the pasta in a large pot. I use a large fry pan or sometimes my work for the sauce, as its big enough to mix it all in at the end.

Put the pasta on to cook.

Using a hand held grater if you have one (I don't know why, but this is my favourite part of cooking this dish) grate the zucchini directly into the fry pan, and then add the chicken back into the pan as well, giving it a good stir.

Combine the egg, cream and pepper and when lightly beaten, stir in the parsley (keeping a little back for garnish if you're feeling fancy).

When the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of its cooking water before draining.

At the same time, reduce the heat under the fry pan and pour the egg/cream/parsley (and rocket if using) mixture into the chicken/vegetable mix and stir.