Summer Carbonara

There are few things that are better than a big bowl of creamy pasta. This pasta is relatively simple and is a great way to incorporate all the yummy summer veggies. Make this next time you have friends over for dinner and pair it with a light salad, toasted bread, and a nice crisp white wine. I promise it will not disappoint!

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 pints (~3-4 cups) cherry tomatoes (I like the colorful variety)

1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into half moons

3 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, divided (I like basil, oregano, and thyme)

6 cloves garlic, minced, divided

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1 lb high-quality linguine or bucatini pasta (thicker than spaghetti noodles)

4-6 oz pack of prosciutto (sub bacon)

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 cups fresh or frozen/thawed corn

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Crushed red pepper flakes, optional topping

8 oz burrata cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In a 9x13in baking dish, combine the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, olive oil, 1/4 cup of the fresh herbs, 3 cloves of the garlic, and a generous amount of salt and black pepper. Toss well to coat. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to burst and juices have released. Remove from the oven and stir in another 1/4 cup of the fresh herbs. Set aside until ready to add to the pasta.

3. While the veggies roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. *Reserve ~1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to use later on.*

4. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the prosciutto for 2 minutes per side, or until it starts to get a little crispy. Remove from the skillet, let cool, then roughly chop it into bite size pieces. Add the remaining garlic to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Remove the skillet from heat.

5. Once the pasta is done cooking, reserve ~1/4 cup of the water before draining. Put the pasta back back into the large pot (not over heat), then add in the chopped prosciutto and garlic. Toss to combine.

6. In a medium bowl, mix together the beaten eggs and Parmesan cheese. Pour the egg-cheese mixture over the pasta, tossing very quickly to ensure the eggs don't scramble. Once the sauce starts to thicken, pour in a little of the reserved pasta water, adding it slowly until the sauce reaches your desired consistency (you might not need all of it).

7. Add the roasted veggies and all the juices from the baking dish, corn, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 cup of fresh herbs. Gently toss to combine, then season with more salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.

8. Divide the pasta among plates and top with freshly torn burrata cheese... and enjoy every bite!

Be sure to take a pic & tag us in your creations @thepreppedpalate 📸