I made Ina Garten’s easy spring pasta and had a delicious dinner ready in 30 minutes

To make Garten’s spring green spaghetti carbonara for six, you’ll need: 

• 12 ounces of spaghetti (she recommends De Cecco) 
• 8 ounces of small-diced pancetta
• 1 cup of shelled fresh peas or frozen peas
• ½ pound of snow peas
• 12-14 thin asparagus (bottom third discarded)
• 5 scallions 
• ¼ cup of fresh chives
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 extra-large egg yolks
• ¾ cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

I made Garten’s pasta for three people, so I split these measurements in half while testing the recipe.

Once you really get cooking with a carbonara pasta, everything needs to be mixed very quickly to achieve maximum creaminess (and ensure you’re not eating raw egg). 

I made sure I had every step prepped so I wouldn’t be stressed when it was time to put Garten’s pasta together. 

To start, I cut my asparagus into 2-inch pieces and diagonally sliced my scallions, as her recipe instructed.  

Since different parts of the lemon are required for different steps, I zested the lemon and then juiced it in a separate bowl.

I also julienned the snow peas and minced my chives.

Garten recommends using “the hottest tap water” to help heat the bowl you’ll use to mix the pasta with the carbonara sauce. 

Per her instructions, I set the full bowl aside while I cooked the pasta and pancetta. Garten says you should only pour the hot water out of the bowl “just before you drain the pasta.” 

Garten recommends stirring your pancetta occasionally and cooking until it’s browned, which took about eight minutes.

Once your pancetta is ready, transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel.

I brought a large pot of salted water to a boil, then added my spaghetti.

I cooked the pasta for eight minutes, stirring the noodles occasionally.  

I set the pasta water aside for the carbonara sauce, then threw in my snow peas, frozen peas, and asparagus with the spaghetti.

I let everything cook together for two additional minutes. 

I dumped the hot tap water out of the bowl, then added the cream, egg, egg yolk, and some of the pasta water — Garten recommends ¼ cup if you’re making this dish for six — and whisked everything together. 

It was time to turn this pasta into a spaghetti carbonara! 

I tossed everything together with tongs, making sure the spaghetti absorbed the sauce.

I also added another splash of pasta water to keep the sauce creamy. 

I added the Parmesan cheese to the pasta, as well as the pancetta, scallions, chives, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Then I seasoned everything with some salt and pepper.

It’s easy to see why Garten loves making this dish in the spring. The green of the veggies and the red of the pancetta pop really nicely against the spaghetti, making the pasta look really fresh and inviting.

You can also whip up a big serving of this dish in no time at all. Even though I split Garten’s measurements in half, we still had more than enough food for three people.

I was a little apprehensive of this dish when I first read the recipe, I won’t lie. I’m a huge fan of Garten’s comforting red-sauce pastas, but her spring carbonara seemed, well, a little too green. 

But I was pleasantly surprised! The carbonara sauce is creamy without feeling heavy, and it’s balanced nicely with the fresh veggies. The pancetta also adds a lovely crunch and umami to the pasta — I just wish there had been a bit more of it.

I served the dish to my parents, who both loved it. My dad called it “light and lemony,” while my mom thought it’d be ideal for a barbecue. 

“I’d never think to put all of these things together, but they tasted very good,” she added. “It’s light and refreshing.”

If you’re looking for some inspiration for a spring dinner party or weekend brunch, Garten’s carbonara will definitely pack a punch.