Carbonara cake

Carbonara cake

Spaghetti, smoked ham & lotsa lovely cheese

Spaghetti, smoked ham & lotsa lovely cheese

Serves 6

Cooks In1 hour

DifficultyNot too tricky

Nutrition per serving

• Calories 545 27%

• Fat 19.1g 27%

• Saturates 10.3g 52%

• Sugars 2.8g 3%

• Salt 1.4g 23%

• Protein 22.2g 44%

• Carbs 38.4g 15%

• Fibre 1.9g -

Of an adult's reference intake

Ingredients

• 300 g dried spaghetti
• olive oil
• 100 g hard cheese , such as Parmesan, Cheddar, Gruyère
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 250 ml double cream
• 250 g cooked smoked higher-welfare ham
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

recipe adapted from

Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook

By Jamie Oliver

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
2. Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain and leave to steam dry and cool in the colander.
3. Meanwhile, rub the inside of a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin with oil, then finely grate a thin layer of cheese all over the base, shaking it up the sides.
4. Once the spaghetti is cool, transfer it to a large bowl, gently pulling it apart, then beat and add the eggs, along with the cream and a generous pinch of black pepper. Chop and add the ham, finely grate in the rest of your cheese, and pick, chop and add the rosemary leaves.
5. Toss together well, then pack into the cake tin and place on a baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden, crisp and cooked through.
6. Leave the carbonara cake to sit for 3 minutes in the tin, then carefully and confidently run a knife around the rim and release it proudly on to a board. Great served with a fresh, zingy lemon-dressed salad on the side.

Tips

This is a great base recipe that’s able to embrace all sorts of seasonal loveliness at different times of the year – from spring peas and asparagus, to autumn mushrooms or chunks of roasted winter squash.