Breakfast Carbonara

Breakfast Carbonara
Melina Hammer for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(827)
Comments
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Alton Brown developed this recipe for his book "EveryDayCook" because it hits all of the best notes of breakfast in a way that is much more appealing than just eggs, sausage and toast. If you eat pasta early in the day, he reasons, that leaves plenty of time to work it off. He’s a fan of cooking in cast iron, and calls for it here. But any good 12-inch sauté pan will do. —Kim Severson

Featured in: Alton Brown, Showman of Food TV, Pulls Back the Curtain

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1tablespoon grated orange zest
  • ¼cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • ¼cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 1tablespoon kosher salt
  • 8ounces dried linguine, preferably whole wheat
  • 2teaspoons olive oil
  • 8ounces breakfast sausage, either bulk or removed from its casings
  • 2scallions, thinly sliced
  • 4large eggs, room temperature
  • 3ounces Pecorino Romano, finely grated
  • 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

358 calories; 19 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 19 grams protein; 540 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the orange zest, parsley and bread crumbs in a small bowl and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Add 2 quarts of water, salt and linguine to a large sauté pan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 4 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.

  3. Step 3

    While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the sausage, breaking it into pieces with a spoon, and brown. Add the scallions and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.

  4. Step 4

    While the pasta and sausage cook, whisk together the eggs, cheese and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Drain the pasta, reserving a ⅓ cup of the starchy water. Add the pasta to the sausage mixture, tossing well to coat.

  6. Step 6

    Remove from heat, add the egg mixture and toss some more, adding some pasta water to loosen the sauce.

  7. Step 7

    Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of the parsley mixture.

Ratings

4 out of 5
827 user ratings
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Comments

This sounds like a fun meal, but I am confused as to how the eggs get cooked. I find it improbable that 4 eggs will cook in just the heat from just-boiled pasta, so are we missing a crucial step here? The kind of step that would prevent you from serving pasta with a "sauce" of uncooked scrambled eggs??

all carbonara is breakfast carbonara

I have seen the error in my ways. I made it this weekend with great success. The cast iron did its job and the orange zest topping was especially delicious; the only change I'll make in the future is to use hot sausage. Thank you all for educating me on the marvels of carbonara!

Amazing!! Don’t skip the topping it makes it!! My two year old wouldn’t let me have seconds as he wants another bowl later

Delicious, quick, and easy! I appreciated the tip on heating the linguine along with the water. It reduced the overall cooking time, and the pasta was still exactly al dente. The eggs cooked perfectly from the heat of the pasta and residual heat of the cast iron.

Excellent! Followed directions closely and it was delicious.

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Credits

Adapted from "EveryDayCook" by Alton Brown (Ballantine, 2016)

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