Egg & Sausage Carbonara

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This Egg & Sausage Carbonara is a long-time family favorite!  Originally inspired by Rachael Ray’s 1998 version of her Spaghetti Carbonara: Pasta with Bacon and Eggs (found in the first printing of 30-Minute Meals), many iterations of this easy pasta dish were made by my mom often when we were young, and still now when we all visit home.  It’s an easy crowd-pleaser, and you’ll only need to buy a few ingredients!

Is it a traditional carbonara?  Not at all!  The eggs form a uniquely crumbly coating on the pasta, and the hearty bites of chicken sausage make it extra flavorful as well as filling.  It’s cheesy, peppery, and eggy, and I hope you love it as much as we do!

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RECIPE NOTES:

Pantry Staples: One reason we love this recipe so much is because other than the spaghetti and the sausage, we almost always have all of the other ingredients in the kitchen already!  It makes dinner so simple.

Servings: This recipe serves 4 people, or 2 people for 2 nights.

Toppings: The toppings of additional black pepper, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese make all the difference!  They allow for everyone to season their pasta exactly to their taste.

Storage: Any leftovers can easily be stored airtight in the refrigerator.  (I like to store the pasta in one container and the sausage pieces in another.)  Whenever you’re ready, it reheats perfectly in the microwave!  Toppings can then be added to taste just as they would be on the day of cooking.

INGREDIENT NOTES:

Spicy Italian Chicken Sausages: It has become a family favorite to use these pre-cooked spicy Italian chicken sausages, thinly sliced and fried until crispy!  They not only add in a bit of protein, but add SO much flavor to the dish.  Even as someone who can’t handle a ton of spice personally, I don’t find these to be too spicy at all…They’re just right!  (Feel free to experiment with traditional Italian sausage in place of chicken sausage if you prefer.)

Spaghetti: Spaghetti is the perfect pasta shape and size for this recipe!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The olive oil is needed both as the base of the light sauce which coats the pasta, as well as to fry up the sausage slices.

Garlic: Garlic is an absolutely must for the overall flavor in this meal!  I love crushing it with a garlic press to keep things quick and easy, but mincing should also work similarly.

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: A tiny sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds depth and zest to the sauce.  Feel free to be conservative as more can always be added to taste once plated.

Eggs: The eggs cook into the prepared pasta in a fine and crumbly texture.  This is of course different from the usual egg presentation in a carbonara, but it makes it unique!  The egg is also cooked thoroughly in this version, so there are no concerns over undercooked eggs.  (Don’t skip the step of adding the pasta water to the eggs!  It’s imperative to get the right texture.)

Grated Parmesan Cheese: Whether you prefer to use a pre-grated option or grate it yourself, the parmesan adds so much flavor.  Don’t forget to top with extra!

Black Pepper: Go with a generous amount of black pepper!  Of course, more can always be added to taste once plated.

Kitchen Equipment:

• Knife & Cutting Board

• Garlic Press

• 1 Large Pan

• Cooling Rack

• 1 Large Pot Or Dutch Oven

• Colander

• 1 Large Wok Or Skillet

• Spaghetti Server

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Pre-Cooked Spicy Italian Chicken Sausages
• 1 lb Spaghetti
• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus 1 extra for the sausages
• 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed/minced
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
• 4 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Black Pepper, generous, to taste

TO SERVE

• Black Pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste, we use finely ground sea salt
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
• Parmesan Cheese, to taste

Directions:

PREP

Slice the sausages into 1/2 inch pieces, peel and crush the garlic, beat the eggs in a bowl, and set all aside

COOK THE SAUSAGE PIECES

In a large pan, add the 1 extra Tbsp of olive oil, then the sausage pieces, and fry them on medium heat until browned and crispy (stirring/flipping consistently)

Once finished, remove the pan from heat and set it aside on a cooling rack to clear room on the stove

COOK THE PASTA & COMBINE ALL

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the pasta according to the package instructions

While the pasta is cooking, in a large wok or skillet, add the 3 Tbsp of olive oil, garlic, and a little dash of red pepper flakes to taste, then warm them up on low-medium heat

If you see the garlic getting too brown, turn the heat back down

Just before draining the finished pasta, take out about 3 spoonfuls of the boiling pasta water and add it into your egg mixture, scrambling it in

Drain and rinse the cooked pasta and add it to the wok/skillet of olive oil, garlic, and red pepper, then turn the heat up to medium

Coat the pasta evenly, tossing it with a spaghetti server for ease

Pour in the scrambled eggs, and toss it all together until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Toss quickly and consistently to avoid any large clumps; The texture should be crumbly!

Remove from heat, and mix in the 1/2 Cup of parmesan cheese and a generous amount of black pepper

SERVE

Plate the pasta topped with a serving of the crispy sausage slices

Add additional black pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese to taste

Enjoy!