Asparagus Carbonara: Spilled Milk #320

No pasta, no problem. A springy recipe using one of my favorite techniques!

This month on Spilled Milk I’m sharing my summer travel tips and recommendations for destinations across the United States. From Maine to Las Vegas, we’re exploring my favorite restaurants, accommodations and things to do around the country.

I’ll also be cooking recipes inspired by each location and answering all your travel questions. You don’t want to miss a moment of our journey together—become a paid subscriber to Spilled Milk!

Spring has sprung, and asparagus is flooding into the market. Not a moment too soon for my tastes, thank you very much.

Since this is Vegas week, I wanted to use asparagus in a new way, substituting it for pasta and eating it with one of my favorite sauces/techniques. It’s one that is perfectly suited for pairing with many vegetables: alla carbonara. Its elegance and innovation seem like a fitting Vegas-ish thing to cook, while still being simple and accessible enough for an everyday meal. Let’s break it down—you know I love a great story.

Pasta alla carbonara is a dish whose origin is as rich and debated as its famously creamy sauce. At its heart are a few simple ingredients—eggs, Pecorino Romano, guanciale, black pepper and pasta (usually spaghetti or rigatoni)—but its backstory is layered with culinary myth and postwar reinvention.

Become a paid subscriber to read the rest of this newsletter! Here’s what I’m getting into:

• The contested origin story of carbonara

• Debates over what makes carbonara “authentic”

• How asparagus became popular (hint: It’s not a new trend!)

• A recipe and video for asparagus carbonara

• Plus, we explore how chefs create dishes like this that merge techniques and ingredients that are new exciting