Asparagus and Chicken Carbonara

The main dish tonight was Asparagus and Chicken Carbonara. This recipe was also out of Cooking Light, June 2004 - page 150.

This was a really nice dish. It had great flavors from the parsley, bacon, asparagus, and garlic. I did change a couple of things with the recipe. I didn't have the dry vermouth that it called for so I used tequila instead. It did a fun little thing when added to the onions and olive oil that were being sautéed. I also substituted whole grain wheat spaghetti for regular spaghetti.

I really liked this dish and would do it again. It didn't take too long to make and it's a healthier version than the carbonaras I've had in the past (egg substitute and non-fat evaporated milk instead of cream and eggs). The preperation of this dish reminded me a little bit of a dish I make called Italian Stir Fry. When cooking the pasta, you add the pieces of asparagus in during the last two minutes of the boiling, which saves some time and helps flavors carry over. I don't know how the leftovers are going to be since the recipe warns about over cooking the dish because of the eggs in it, but I'm looking forward to it for lunch tomorrow anyway!