Description
This No-Bacon Pasta Carbonara is a fresh, vegetarian twist on the classic Italian dish, loaded with vibrant greens and finished with a tangy lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. It’s a comforting, flavorful meal perfect for any day when you want a creamy pasta without the bacon.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Greens
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Onion
- to taste Kosher Salt
- 1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 pound Fresh Spinach
- 0.5 pound Pappardelle Pasta
Carbonara Sauce
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 Lemon (juice only)
- to taste Coarse Salt
- to taste Coarse Black Pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Aromatics: Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the chopped onion, reduce heat to medium, season with kosher salt, and sauté until soft and beginning to color, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Prepare the Greens: While the onion cooks, transfer the fresh spinach to a colander to drain excess water, leaving a little moisture on the leaves.
- Cook the Spinach: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the onions, stirring for 30 seconds, then add all the spinach to the skillet. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, using tongs to flip and help wilt the greens until significantly reduced in volume. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and then turn off the heat.
- Cook the Pasta: Add the pappardelle to the boiling salted water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Mix the Carbonara Sauce: In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water to temper the eggs and create a smooth sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Immediately add the drained pasta to the skillet with the onions and spinach. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta and toss quickly with tongs to coat, turning the heat to low or medium if the greens have cooled, to gently warm the sauce and prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- Season and Serve: Season with coarse salt and black pepper. Adjust the sauce consistency and acidity by adding more lemon juice or reserved pasta water as desired. Sprinkle extra Parmigiano-Reggiano on top if preferred and serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- This recipe can be made with linguini or bucatini as alternatives to pappardelle for different textures.
- Be careful to toss the pasta with the egg mixture quickly and over low heat to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Leaving some moisture on the spinach helps create a silky sauce when combined with the eggs and cheese.
- You can adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes to suit your preference for heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 96
- Sugar: 1.0 g
- Sodium: 43.2 mg
- Fat: 3.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.4 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4.0 g
- Cholesterol: 27.8 mg
