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Authentic Creamy Carbonara Recipe

Gluten-Free Spaghetti Carbonara

Natasha Levai
This delicious gluten-free spaghetti carbonara is a traditional Italian dish that has become a staple at every restaurant! Learn how to make it yourself.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 people
Calories 577 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 medium size saucepan
  • 1 large metal mixing bowl
  • 1 pair of tongs for pasta
  • 1 Frying pan
  • 1 Kitchen scale

Ingredients
  

  • 200 grams gluten-free spaghetti pasta
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 45-50 grams Italian cheese Parmesan, Pecorino, Grana Padano
  • 40-45 grams pancetta or bacon I use raw bacon
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more for serving
  • 1 tbsp salt for pasta water

Instructions
 

  • The process will require quick action, so it is best to be prepared with all your tools ahead of time. Make sure you have:
    a pan for frying the meat, a metal bowl for the egg mixture, tongs for handling pasta, a spatula to stir the bacon, a whisk for the eggs.
  • Boil some water in a kettle and fill the pot just enough to cover the pasta. You want to have as much starch as possible in the pasta water to create the perfect creaminess for your carbonara, for this reason you don’t want to use a huge pot with way too much water.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cover the pot. You want to stir your pasta in the beginning so that it doesn’t end up sticking.
  • Boil the pasta for about 9-10 minutes or until al dente (not quite yet done, but almost).
  • While your pasta is boiling, chop the bacon (or pancetta) and fry it for about 7 minutes in olive oil on low heat.
  • While the meat is sizzling away and the pasta is swimming in a hot bath we will prepare the egg and cheese mix. Add the egg and the egg yolks together and whisk. Grate the cheese, add the black pepper, and whisk to combine. Set aside until the pasta is ready.
  • When your pasta is ready, transfer it from the pot to the frying pan where the bacon is. Swirl the pasta a little bit so that it pics up the pork fat and the oil from the pan. Leave in the pan until the next step.
  • Scoop about ½ cup of pasta water out and set aside. Bring the rest of the pasta water to a simmer and place the metal bowl with eggs over it to create a double boiler (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water or the eggs will curdle). Add the pasta to the eggs and start stirring vigorously to make sure you don’t create scrambled eggs. Add the pasta water you set aside to the mix to add more creaminess to the sauce.
  • If you think your sauce is too thin, then keep the pasta over the boiler for longer until the liquids evaporate and the sauce thickens. If your sauce is too thick, then add more pasta water!
  • Serve carbonara right away as the sauce will become hard overtime. Top with some black pepper and grated cheese!

Video

Notes

- Add those egg yolks! I know, it is tempting to just toss whole eggs into the sauce to avoid wasting food, but trust me, adding yolks without the whites is worth it! I made carbonara before, using whole eggs only, as I hate having egg white sitting in the fridge for days, and I can very confidently say that you will be better off going the extra mile and separating the yolks from the whites. There are plenty of recipes you can use egg whites in! I make pancakes or sandwiches with mine.
- Don’t use regular cheese with this recipe. Make sure to have one (or more) of the following: Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Grana Padano. I use Grana Padano in my carbonara and absolutely love it!
- Serve carbonara fresh. Your pasta dish will harden if you cool and reheat it, however, the flavors will stay intact! I have reheated carbonara before and still liked it a lot!
- Feel free to experiment and make your own carbonara dish. You can add garlic, parsley, chicken, butter, red pepper, and even frozen peas. Those might not be the traditional creamy carbonara ingredients, but who said you can’t make this recipe your own?
- If you want your pasta to stay creamy for longer you might want to add a bit of heavy cream to the sauce. This is what cooks do in restaurants to keep their carbonara looking fresh and creamy for longer periods of time!

Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 57.1gProtein: 33.2gFat: 23.8gSaturated Fat: 9.3gCholesterol: 407mgSodium: 1980mgPotassium: 361mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.3gCalcium: 277mgIron: 5mg
Keyword authentic italian carbonara, carbonara without cream, easy carbonara recipe no cream, gluten-free carbonara
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