Farfalle with Carbonara and Spring Peas

Ingredients

• 1 lb Farfalle
• 1 Egg
• 7 Tbs Heavy Cream
• Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 12 Slices of Pancetta or Bacon - Roughly Chopped
• 3 Handfuls Fresh Shelled or Frozen Peas
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Mint - Leaves Picked
• 2 Handfulls Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation

• First of all, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Whisk the egg in a bowl with the cream, salt & pepper. Put your pancetta or bacon into a second pan and cook until crispy and golden.
• Add the farfalle to the boiling water. When the farfalle is nearly cooked, add the peas for the last minute and a half. This way they will burst in your mouth and be lovely and sweet. When cooked, drain the colander, saving a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pancetta and stir in most of the mint, finely sliced - if the pan isn't big enough, mix it all together in a large warmed bowl.
• Now you need to add the cream mix to the pasta. What is important here is that you add it while the pasta is still hot. This way the residual heat of the pasta will cook the eggs, but not so that they resemble scrambled eggs, as I've seen some dodgy old restaurants on the motorway! The pasta will actually cook the egg enough to give you a silky smooth sauce. Toss together and loosen with a little of the reserved cooking water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan and the rest of the mint leaves, and serve as soon as possible.

Jamie Oliver / Jamie's Dinners (2006)