Jamie Oliver's Easy Sausage Carbonara

I have been lazy lately.

I don't remember that I have a food blog and can access 11 years worth of recipes.......I have to be reminded by friends who have collected recipes.

"Stacey, I made your chicken and green beans last night, and we loved it".

My what?
I have to go on my blog and search what they are talking about.
I am losing my memory and mind.

Jamie Oliver's new cookbook 5 Ingredients is a life saver.

Don't listen to the amazon reviews that say the ingredients are "hard to find" and "specialized".
These were obviously written by people who don't have access to a supermarket that sells flat leaf parsley or cilantro. I think they believe that Jamie is going to cook the food for them.

Eye roll.

Listen to me. I am usually right.
This cookbook is terrific for weeknight dinner inspiration. And don't feel like you are limited to using the 5 ingredients listed in the recipe....be daring and maybe add in a 6th. ;)

Let's start with this delicious, easy sausage meatball carbonara. It could not be easier.

There's no butter and no cream, and there never should be in a carbonara.

You just have to be diligent, so you don't have scrambled eggs on pasta.

The trick is turning off the heat and adding in enough pasta water to make a silky sauce, not an eggy one.

If you use fresh tagliatelle, then you are my hero. It will be even better, if possible.

Jamie's original recipe calls for 1 egg, but I added 2 for a silkier sauce. And he uses "higher-welfare sausages". I have no clue as to what that is, but obviously a UK thing.

Here's how:

Jamie's Easy Sausage Carbonara: (adapted from Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients Quick & Easy Food)

150 g dried tagliatelle (about 1/2 lb)
3 good quality Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (15g)
1 large free-range egg (I used 2)
30 g Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup or more)
1/2 mug of starchy pasta water (6th ingredient, if we are counting)

Whisk the egg(s) together in a large measuring cup and mix in the parsley and cheese. Set aside. This will be your sauce.

Roll tablespoon size amounts of sausage meat with your hands to form little balls.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and when the oil is shimmering hot but not smoking, add the meatballs.

I like to shake and swirl the pan until the meatballs have color all over, and then I roll with a spoon. This helps to maintain their round shape.

Saute for several minutes, keeping the meatballs moving, until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through. They should read 160F on an instant read thermometer. Keep warm.

Meanwhile cook your pasta in lots of salted water according to package directions until al dente (my tagliatelle takes 5 minutes).

Drain, reserving a mug full of cooking water, and add the dripping wet pasta directly in with the meatballs in the pan, the extra water clinging to the pasta is going to help create the sauce (use tongs for this).

Make sure you mix the pasta off the heat, add the egg mixture, tossing continuously as the heat of the pasta turns the eggs into a silky sauce. Add more pasta water as needed.

Serve right away with extra cheese if you want.