Spring Vegetable Carbonara

If in need of a pasta salad on the lighter side, this is a great one to try. It went over very well in our home. If you are wanting to make it even more healthful, try using a whole wheat pasta.

SPRING VEGETABLE CARBONARA (found in Cooking Light magazine)

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed (I added a whole lot more than 1/2 cup)
12 oz. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz. uncooked cavatappi pasta (or any spiral pasta)
1/2 cup (2 oz) grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped seeded red bell pepper (I used tomatoes instead, just because)

1. Cook peas and asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water; drain. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Combine pasta and vegetables.

2. Combine cheese and the next 3 ingredients (through eggs) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add hot cooking liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 TBSP drippings in pan. Add bacon to pasta mixture. Cook bell pepper in drippings for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughtly heated. Remove pan from heat, and stir in egg mixture. Return pan to low heat; cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring constantly.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

The servings are set up to be a whole meal. If you want to use as a side dish you can go with a much smaller portion size which will cut back on the calories and fat a lot.

CALORIES 425; FAT 14.4g (sat 5.9g, mono 5.3g, poly 1.6g) PROTEIN 22.2 g; CARB 52 g; FIBER 5.4g; CHOL 183gmg; IRON 3.6mg; SODIUM 614mg; CALC 210mg