Sausage Carbonara with Lemon & Parsley
Sausage Carbonara is a fresh take on the classic, with sausage meatballs and a hint of lemon and herbs. Quick, easy and so tasty!
Carbonara with Sausage
Carbonara has to be one of my favourite pasta dishes. Deliciously creamy and decadent, it is also incredibly quick and easy with only a few ingredients. There are so many variations of the classic recipe – like my Bacon & Mushroom Carbonara or Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Pasta.
This Sausage Carbonara uses pork or chicken sausages instead of the typical guanciale. The creamy egg-based sauce is enhanced with some lemon and parsley for a lovely fresh taste which perfectly compliments the sausage.
Lemon & Herb Carbonara Sauce
Carbonara can sometimes be quite a heavy dish, especially if you like it with cream. This version has lemon zest and fresh parsley which really lightens the flavour. It is a lovely fresh summery twist on classic carbonara.
Tips for the best Sausage Carbonara
- Use good quality sausages – I like peppery Cumberland sausages best for this recipe, but Italian fennel sausages or herby Lincolnshire sausages also work well.
- Use room-temperature eggs – cold eggs can make for lumpy sauce
- Pasta water – the starchy water helps to make the sauce smooth and silky as well as thickening it (without the need for cream). It also helps the sauce to stick to the pasta. Use as much as you need to get your desired consistency.
- Add the pasta straight into the sauce – I use tongs for spaghetti or a spider* for smaller pasta shapes and transfer the pasta directly from the cooking water into the sauce. This means the pasta is still perfectly hot when added to the sauce, and also transfers what I find to be the usual perfect amount of pasta water to the sauce!
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
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More quick and easy Pasta Recipes:
- Pasta Primavera with Peas & Asparagus
- Quick Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Easy Turkey Bolognese
- Garlic Mushroom Pasta with Herby Breadcrumbs
- Chilli Prawn Linguine
- Spicy Carbonara Noodles
Sausage Carbonara with Lemon and Parsley
Ingredients
- 200 grams (½ lb) pasta of your choice I prefer spaghetti or tagliatelle for this recipe but any pasta will do!
- 200 grams (½ lb) good quality pork or chicken sausages I like Cumberland best
- 2 eggs
- zest of 1 lemon
- small bunch fresh parsley, chopped around 15 grams
- 30 grams (⅓ cups) grated parmesan cheese plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Remove the skins from the sausages and use wet hands to shape the sausage meat into bite-sized balls.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta accordingly to packet instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the sausage balls. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the parmesan, eggs, parsley and lemon zest to a large bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk together.
- When the pasta is cooked, use tongs to transfer it directly into the bowl with the egg mixture. Toss thoroughly for a good minute or two, adding extra pasta water a dash at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Season the pasta to taste with extra salt and pepper if desired. Split the pasta between 2 bowls, top with the cooked sausage balls and some extra parsley and parmesan.
This recipe has been linked to CookBlogShare
Such a delicious combination. I like that this recipe does not use cream.
I noted this down for dinner next week.