Sausage Meatball & Vegetable Carbonara

My sister came over last night for dinner. We were meeting my mom and a friend at the movie theater later and only had about an hour to make dinner. Allie came across this recipe online and it was above and beyond what we expected to whip up in such a short amount of time! It was SO yummy and we decided would actually be a great party dish. What more can you ask for in a party dish- excellent rich flavors, decadent appearance, and EASY to make!!

We made a few changes to the recipe and when we make it again we might revise it even more. The original recipe called for 4 slices of bacon, diced, but we didn't have bacon on hand. Regardless, the dish was still full of flavor. We used 2 oz. of cheese instead of the 4 oz's the recipe called for, which we think was plenty. Allie thought we could have put less lemon zest, but I really enjoyed it. It's a flavor you don't usually get with Carbonara that I thought enhanced the recipe, but you can prepare it however you like!

Here's how we made it:
Start off by boiling water for the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the pasta box, approximately 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the zucchini into small chunks and set aside.If you'd prefer to add more vegetables or replace the zucchini with a different veggie go right ahead! Any mix of vegetables will do. Then form small meatballs with the ground sausage by rolling a small amount of meat in the palm of your hand into a 1" diameter ball.



Heat a skillet with olive oil and cook the meatballs until browned. Add the zucchini and bacon and saute until cooked through.



While the meatball mix is cooking, combine egg yolks, cream, lemon zest, parsley, and Parmesan cheese into a bowl and whisk.



Toss the spaghetti with the sauce. Transfer pasta to the pan with the meatballs and zucchini. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and toss. Transfer to a serving dish and serve. Delicious homemade garlic bread is a great side with this pasta dish. Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try it: Homemade Garlic Bread






Sausage Meatball & Vegetable Carbonara
Adapted from Jaime Oliver's 20 Minute Meals and The Parsley Thief Blog
Serves 6
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
6 mild or spicy Italian sausages (1 oz. ground sausage)
4 slices bacon, sliced
1 pound spaghetti
4 large egg yolks
2 medium zucchini (or vegetable of your choice)
1 cup heavy cream
grated zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces grated Parmesan Cheese (we used 2 oz's)
5 chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
olive oil

Instructions
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water, according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, begin preparing the rest of the dish.
Prep your vegetable by washing and dicing it. If you're using zucchini, trim the ends off the zucchini. Slice in quarters lengthwise & then into small chunks. Roll ground sausage into small balls, about 1" in diameter. Heat a large skillet over medium heat & add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the meatballs to the skillet & cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until evenly browned. Add the zucchini & bacon to the skillet & cook until the bacon is crisp. Turn off the heat.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cream, lemon zest, parsley & 2 ounces of the grated Parmesan. When the spaghetti is cooked, scoop out a cup of the cooking water & drain the pasta. Using tongs add the hot spaghetti to the mixing bowl with the sauce. The heat from the pasta will cook & thicken the eggs. Add the pasta & sauce to the skillet with the meatballs & toss to combine. Add a little of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce, if desired. Add 5 chopped sundried tomatoes. Taste & season with a bit of salt & freshly ground pepper.