How to Make Ina Garten’s Spring Pasta for an Easy, Delicious Dinner

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

It should be noted that I made Garten’s pasta for three people, so I split her measurements in half. 

Once you really get cooking with a carbonara pasta, things need to be mixed together very quickly to achieve maximum creaminess (and to ensure you won’t be eating any raw egg). 

This time around, I wanted to make sure I had every single step prepped so that I wouldn’t be stressed once it was time to put the pasta together. 

To start, I cut my asparagus into two-inch pieces and diagonally sliced my scallions, as Garten had instructed.  

I julienned the snow peas and minced my chives, per Garten’s recipe.

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

Garten recommends using “the hottest tap water” to help heat the bowl, which is where you’ll later 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.” 

I drizzled some olive oil into a sauté pan over medium heat and then added the pancetta, which I cooked for around eight minutes. 

Garten recommends stirring your pancetta occasionally and cooking until it’s browned. Once your pancetta is ready, transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. 

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 put the pasta water aside for the carbonara sauce, then threw my snow peas, frozen peas, and asparagus into 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 using ¼ cup if you’re making this dish for six) and used a whisk to mix everything together. 

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

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

I also added just a bit more pasta water to help keep the sauce creamy. 

I added the Parmesan cheese to the pasta, as well as the pancetta, scallions, chives, lemon zest, and lemon juice, along with some salt and pepper. 

It’s easy to see why Garten loves making this in the spring. The green of the veggies and the red of the pancetta pop really nicely against the spaghetti, making this pasta look super 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. And the entire dish took less than 30 minutes to make, with most of the cooking time spent on prep. 

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

But I was pleasantly surprised! The carbonara sauce is creamy without being too heavy, and it’s balanced perfectly with the fresh flavors from all the veggies. The pancetta also adds a nice crunch and umami to the pasta — I only 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.

And if you’re looking for other spring dishes to try, Meghan Markle has her own spin on a spring garden pasta salad.