Vegetarian Pasta Carbonara

When I cook, I'm generally not very precise, and that goes for my carbonara. Sometimes I add broccoli or asparagus. I've even included beans on occasions and if I haven't had quorn fillets in the house I've added similar protein, or just left it out. Likewise, it doesn't matter what pasta you use. If you listen to one famous TV chef, he'd tell you to use penne, whereas restaurants often serve their carbonara with spaghetti. I like fusilli and tagliatelle, but any wholegrain pasta will do.

There are, however, a few holy ingredients without which my vegetarian carbonara wouldn't be complete. These are green peas, halloumi, red pepper, black pepper and parmesan. I'd also like to say natural yoghurt but if you really can't live without cream, I guess I would allow an exception. At the moment I don't use egg yolks for this dish, but if you want it, go ahead. Just add it at the very end.

Vegetarian pasta carbonara

Cooking time: 15 min
Serves 2

100-150g wholegrain pasta
75g halloumi
1/2 dl frozen peas
1 quorn fillet
1 red pepper
1 onion
1/3 red chilli
1 dl grated parmesan
3 tbsp natural yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp black pepper

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the pasta.
Put olive oil in a medium hot pan. Chop the onion, red pepper, halloumi and chilli, and add them together with the peas and quorn to the pan.
Add half of the black pepper to the mix, and stir regularly for a couple of minutes, until it gets some colour.
When the quorn is soft enough, separate it into smaller pieces.
Add the parmesan to the mix and stir until it's melted.
Turn off the heat but leave the pan on the hot hob and add the yoghurt to the mix.
Lastly, add the pasta and the rest of the black pepper, and stir.