Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara

Before you begin...

Get all your ingredients and equipment ready

Skim through these steps, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Equipment and pan sizes vary. Make sure you cook food thoroughly (even if it takes you a little longer than 10 min)

Now, let's get started!

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of olive oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your roasted garlic paste and your bacon lardons and cook for 5-6 min or until the lardons are browned and crisped

While the bacon is cooking, add your quick cook spaghetti to a pot of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook for 2-3 min or until the spaghetti is cooked with a slight bite then drain, reserving a cup of starchy pasta water and return to the pot with a drizzle of olive oil

While the spaghetti is cooking, separate your egg yolk[s] from the whites by cracking your egg[s] over a small bowl and catching the yolk in the shell

Transfer the yolk from one shell half to the other several times, until all the whites are in the bowl and you are left with the yolk in the shell

Tip: Hold on to those egg whites! They're perfect for meringues or a protein-rich omelette (they freeze well too!)

Add the egg yolk[s] to a bowl with your crème fraîche, half your grated Italian hard cheese (you'll use the rest later!), your vegetable stock mix and your cracked black pepper

Stir it all together – this is your carbonara sauce

Chop your tomato[es] roughly

Wash your salad, then pat dry with kitchen paper

Add the salad to a medium bowl with the chopped tomatoes, your balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil – this is your tomato salad

Once the bacon lardons have browned, remove the pan from the heat and add the drained spaghetti

Add the carbonara sauce with a splash of starchy pasta water and give everything a good mix up – this is your creamy spaghetti carbonara

Tip: Mix the sauce through the pasta quickly to avoid scrambling the egg!