Orecchiette Carbonara

Photo: Teanna

Ingredients

4 slice applewood bacon, diced

2 mediums leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise then cut crosswise in

10 ounces orecchiette

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

1 cup sliced shiitake or cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup freshly shelled green peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet if necessary. Add mushrooms and saute over medium heat about 3 minutes. Add green peas and saute for 2 more minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and add leeks and sauté over about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan in medium bowl to blend; gradually whisk in 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to leeks and mushroom mixture in skillet and stir to heat. Remove skillet from heat. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes. (Return skillet to very low heat if egg mixture is runny; do not overcook or eggs will curdle.) Add some of remaining 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid to pasta if needed to moisten. Stir in bacon and parsley. Serve pasta, passing additional cheese separately.