Artichoke Radicchio Carbonara

This is one of the yummiest dinners I have created for my ‘What’s For Dinner Nina?’ series on Instagram. It is a take on the classic carbonara but making it a more seasonal veggie format. Tardivo (this type of radicchio) is coming to the end of its season so this is the last recipe from me. The tema variety of artichoke is a type that you can have raw with lemon juice in a salad but here it’s with lemon and fried. The bitterness from the radicchio and the lemony artichoke with the creamy carbonara spaghetti is a total joke. You have to try this! Bains Marie technique is taken from Luciano Monosilio who is a carbonara master in Rome. If you like this recipe, have a browse of my other pasta recipes here.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tema artichoke, outer layers removed, stalk trimmed

Peeled zest of half a lemon and juice of half

1 tardivo, leaves separated (you can use radicchio)

180g spaghetti

Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

4 medium yolks

4 tbsp starchy pasta water

40g finely grated Grana Padano

20g finely grated manchego (pecorino is classic but both made from sheep’s milk for the tang)

Small pinch nutmeg

Generous pinch black pepper

Thinly slice up the artichoke head and dice the stem.

Set a large pan to medium to high heat and add the olive oil. Next add the artichoke and season with salt and pepper. Fry for 5mins until golden.

Toss through lemon zest and juice. Add tardivo and mix for 1 min. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta in salted water.

While pasta cooks, add everything for the sauce into a heatproof bowl except the starchy water. Whisk together to combine.

When the pasta is half cooked, whisk in 4 tbsp of the pasta water to the yolks. Mix until smooth. Add a small pinch of nutmeg and season generously with black pepper.

Drain pasta when it is properly al dente saving the cooking water. Add to sauce and stir vigorously for 1 min before pouring in with the veg and add another 10 tbsp water (about 90ml). Put on the heat for 20 seconds and toss through.

Serve straight away with more GP grated on top!

Watch me make the recipe here.