Spring Salad and Chorizo Carbonara

One of my favourite events is just around the corner so I’ve been trying to cram in as many nutrients as possible so that I do not get sick in anyway shape or form; Halloween is just the most fun, it’s light hearted and involves lots of lollies and dress up – what more could you possibly want?

I haven’t yet locked in my Halloween costume but I’ve got a lot of ideas floating around, I’d love to know what everyone else is going to be doing.

Back to the recipe! This combo is not only super duper fast but it’s also light in a way that carbonara never is. You can mix it up however you like I added a tablespoon of tomato pasta to the carbonara sauce at the end, but realistically I should have just made more of the sauce.

This recipe is from Jamie Olivers 15 minute meals – this recipe took me 20-ish minutes the first time I did it but I made it again a few days later and it took me under 15. All of Jamie’s meals are so simple and work so well; if you don’t have an ingredient or it isn’t available just sub for whatever you have on hand that feels right. His cooking is super seasonal and the flavours are the key so please don’t try and use out of season ingredients!

Spring Salad and Chorizo Carbonara
Adapted from Jamie Olivers 15 Minute Meals

Salad
25g pine nuts
1 head of lambs lettuce (or any leafy green aside from iceberg)
2 clementines
100g baby spinach
4 sprigs of fresh mint
45g Manchego cheese
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp runny honey

Pasta
320g dried penne or any other medium sized pasta Bow-Tie pasta would look so pretty
70g chorizo
½–1 fresh red chilli
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 large egg
½ a lemon
2 heaped tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt

Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Large frying pan, medium heat • Large lidded pan, high heat

Toast the pine nuts in the frying pan for a few minutes, tossing often • Put the pasta into the lidded pan, cover with boiling salted water and cook according to packet instructions • Tear up the head of lettuce and add to a bowl with the baby spinach • Peel and finely slice the clementines, add to the bowl with the baby spinach, then pick over the mint leaves • Shave over a tiny bit of Manchego and scatter with the hot nuts, returning the frying pan to a medium heat.

In a cup, make your dressing with the vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and honey, then season to taste and put aside • Finely slice the chorizo, chilli and rosemary leaves and put into the frying pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of pepper, then squash in the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher and move everything around until lightly golden.

Beat the egg, lemon juice, yoghurt and remaining finely grated Manchego together in a bowl • Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the starchy cooking water • Toss the pasta into the chorizo pan, remove from the heat and mix well with the creamy sauce, loosening with a splash of cooking water, if needed, then season to taste • Dress and toss the salad, then serve with the pasta.

Per serving:  603 cals

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