Traditional Gluten Free Carbonara

Carbonara is an Italian dish traditionally made with raw eggs, cheese, and pancetta, (an Italian cold cut) or bacon.  Learn how to cook non-pasteurized eggs to help prevent salmonella. This classic dish is easily made into a gluten free carbonara by using your favorite gluten free pasta. It’s rich sauce is a way to impress guests, easily, with little effort!  You may also enjoy my Egg-Free Gluten-Free Carbonara Recipe.

Traditional Gluten Free Carbonara

Yield: Serves 4

Traditional Gluten Free Carbonara

A gluten free carbonara recipe using crispy bacon added at the end - an Italian classic.

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz. gluten-free pasta (Heartland, Jovial, Tinkyada) (or Homemade Gluten Free Egg Noodles
  • 3 ounces gluten-free pancetta (or bacon [Applegate, Hormel Black Label, Open Nature, Jones Dairy Farm])
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon parsley, minced, for garnish
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in quarters, for garnish

Instructions:

    To Make Pasta:
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to directions. Cook to al dente as the pasta will cook a bit more once it is mixed with the sauce.
  2. Drain the pasta using a colander or fine mesh strainer.Reserve 1/2 cup of the hot water.
  3. To Make the Pancetta or Bacon:
  4. Fry the bacon in a saute pan or deep skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on a paper-towel-lined plated. Chop into bite-size pieces and set aside. (Do not discard fat in the pan.)
  5. Add the garlic to the bacon fat, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  6. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and toss to coat the pasta.
  7. To Make the Sauce:
  8. In a medium-size bowl, whisk eggs and cheese together, breaking apart any lumps.
  9. Remove pasta pan from the burner and slowly pour in egg/cheese mixture.
  10. Slowly add some of the "hot" reserved pasta water and stir. Add enough water to reach your desired consistency. (You want to add hot pasta water so that you can slightly cook the eggs. The reason you are adding the hot water slowly is so that it tempers the egg [prevents it from scrambling]. The minimum safe cooking temperature for eggs is 160°F.)
  11. Stir in crisp bacon pieces and toss.
  12. Season with salt and pepper to taste, top with parsley and fresh sliced cherry tomatoes, if desired. Serve immediately.

Tips

Be sure the pasta is not too hot when you add the eggs or they will scramble.

Substitute bacon with pieces of cooked chicken breast, if desired.

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