Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Carbonara

You can use spaghetti or tagliatelli for this simple supper dish. Mushrooms are not traditional in a carbonara, but we love them here. 

Ingredients

400 g tagliatelle
150 g mushrooms
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
50 g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
3 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 fresh chives
2 large free-range egg yolks
100 g creme fraiche
80 g cooked ham or pancetta 

Preparation

Cook the tagliatelle in a large pan of boiling salted water, according to the packet instructions.

Slice the mushrooms, peel and finely chop the garlic, then add to a frying pan over a medium heat with the oil. Saute for 5 minutes until softened.

Finely grate the parmesan (if using) into a bowl, then finely chop and add the parsley leaves and chives.

Beat in the egg yolks and creme fraiche, and season well with black pepper.

Add the fried mushrooms, shred and add the ham, then stir to combine.

Drain the tagliatelle, saving a cupful of the cooking water, then return it to the pan.

Off the heat, pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to coat. Add some cooking water to loosen it up if needs be. Serve with an extra grating of Parmesan, if you like.