Carbonara Beans

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 20 min
  • Active: 20 min
Create the pantry side dish of your dreams with a few humble ingredients--eggs, bacon, Parmesan and beans! It’s everything you love about traditional carbonara, but with protein-packed cannellini in place of the pasta.
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Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Two 14.5-ounce cans cannellini or white beans, drained and rinsed

3 large egg yolks

1 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced (about 4 ounces)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped, plus more for serving

Directions

  1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans, cover and let cook until the beans are just heated through, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit in the hot water while the bacon cooks (you want the beans to be very hot when adding to the egg mixture). Stir the egg yolks and Parmesan in a medium bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.
  2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and very fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat and return the skillet to the stovetop. Reserve 1 cup of the bean water, drain the beans and then add them to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, to coat with the bacon fat, about 1 minute.  
  3. Ladle 1/2 cup of the reserved bean water into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs do not cook but are heated. Pour into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted, the sauce begins to thicken and the beans are evenly coated, about 1 minute (if the beans look dry, add more bean water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency has been reached). Fold in the parsley and season with a generous amount of pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with more Parmesan and parsley.  

Let's Get Cooking!

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Anonymous

So delicious! Cannot wait to eat the leftovers!

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