Mushroom Carbonara & Rocket Salad

Boil a kettle

Strip the sage leaves from their stalks and chop the stalks finely 

Slice the portobello mushrooms finely

Slice the chestnut mushrooms finely

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

Once hot, add the sage leaves and cook them for 1 min or until they're crisp

Once crisp, transfer them to a plate (keep the pan with the oil!) and season them lightly with salt

Return the pan to a medium heat 

Once hot, add the sliced chestnut mushrooms and sliced portobello mushrooms with a big pinch of salt and cook them for 5-6 min or until the mushrooms have lightly browned

Meanwhile, add the linguine to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the linguine for 8-10 min or until it's cooked with a slight bite

Once done reserve 300ml [600ml] of the starchy pasta water, then drain the linguine

Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the shallot[s]

Peel and chop (or grate) the garlic

Grate the Italian hard cheese

Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl and beat them with a fork

Add 3/4 of the grated cheese and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper - this is your cheesy egg mixture

Once the mushrooms have browned, add the chopped shallot[s], chopped garlic, chopped sage stalks and a knob of butter and cook for a further 2-3 min or until the shallots have softened

Meanwhile, add the balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp [2 tsp] sugar and 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] olive oil to a large bowl

Wash and dry the rocket, then add it to the bowl and mix - this is your rocket salad

Once the shallots have softened, remove the pan from the heat and add the drained linguine with a splash of starchy pasta water 

Add the cheesy egg mixture and stir continuously for 30 sec-1 min or until the mixture has thickened ever so slightly, adding more pasta water if you need to loosen it a bit