Carbonara has become one of my favourite pasta dishes. And don’t worry Crohnies, this is the traditional Italian version which uses only egg and cheese to create the sauce- so no heavy cream or dairy needed! The silky-smooth sauce, the salty kick from the pancetta and the freshness from the parsley make this a must-have dinner recipe in my book.
Time:
Preparation: 2 minutes
Cooking: 8 minutes
Total= 10 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
1 x serving of spaghetti (about 10 pence in diameter)
1 x medium egg
1 x heaped dessert spoon of lactose-free mature cheddar + extra for serving
65 grams x Italian unsmoked pancetta
Black pepper for seasoning
Small handful of fresh parsley
1 x teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- Boil the kettle and put the spaghetti on to cook in well-salted water for about 8 minutes until al dente (or however long it recommends on the packet).
- Meanwhile, beat the egg in a bowl and finely grate in the cheese. Add a good crack of black pepper and mix well.
- Dice the pancetta into 1cm cubes if not pre-cut and finely chop the parsley. Set aside.
- With about 4 minutes to go on the pasta, heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the pancetta on medium heat until golden and slightly crisp at the edges.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add the pancetta and chopped parsley to the saucepan. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
- Put the pasta saucepan over a very low heat and tip in the egg/ cheese mixture. Only leave this on the heat for literally 30 seconds or so and mix it thoroughly, otherwise you might end up with scrambled egg and nobody wants that! It is ready when the egg is lightly cooked, silky and has just coated the pasta.
- Remove from the heat, serve immediately and top with extra grated cheese and black pepper if desired.
Recipe adaption: You could add some sliced button mushrooms to this if you fancy it, or you could make it vegan by using vegan bacon.
Me and My Crohn's 