Carbonara is one of Italy’s most well-known pasta dishes. It’s up there with bolognaise and lasagna. It might also be one of the simplest – and most delicious – Italian pasta recipes. Traditionally, carbonara is made up of four ingredients: spaghetti, egg yolk, guanciale or pancetta, Pecorino Romano cheese and seasoned with salt and pepper. 

But Jamie Oliver reckons adding one extra ingredient makes traditional carbonara – if you could think it possible – even more delicious. The celebrity chef likes to add asparagus to his easy 15-minute carbonara recipe. On his website, Jamie shares that he “…love(s) the contrast between the dark peppery pancetta and delicate asparagus, all coated in the silky egg and cheese sauce.”

Credit: delicious.

Jamie cooks the pancetta until it’s crispy and then adds the sliced asparagus in the same pan for a few minutes before combining the cooked pasta and then adding the classic egg mixture. The addition of the asparagus is a lovely spring/summer twist on the traditionally hearty dish for those craving carbonara in the warmer months. But maybe leave it out if you’re planning on having Italian friends over for a meal. 

Related story: Gwyneth Paltrow’s carbonara