Before any Italians shout at me, this is not classic gluten free carbonara but rather our creation of a spaghetti courgetti (zucchini) carbonara! The recipe includes courgettes and single cream, while the classic Italian recipe is veg and cream free.

We add courgettes to our carbonara as it’s a great way of adding extra vegetables to your diet and they work so well in this way. I always need some carbs with my dinner so going full blown courgetti wasn’t for me. This hybrid of pasta and veg is the perfect balance.

I have incorporate a small amount of cream into the recipe as it gives it a really smooth texture and extra flavour. The garlic infuses into the cream and fully emulsifies the pasta strands.

Scroll on down to give my yummy recipe a try and hopefully you’ll love it as much as me and my family do!

Gluten Free Spaghetti Carbonara (Serves 2)

Ingredients

  • 180g gluten free spaghetti
  • 1 medium white onion
  • Knob of butter and a little olive oil for cooking
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 150g pancetta lardons or bacon bits
  • 2 large eggs
  • 100ml single cream
  • 75g parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 courgette, sliced into long thin strips
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Finely dice the onion then add to a frying pan with a knob of butter and drizzle of olive oil. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes over a medium-low heat, until translucent and soft. Set aside on a plate.
  2. Time to pop your gluten free spaghetti on to cook per the instructions on the packet.
  3. Fry the bacon/pancetta pieces in a frying pan until they are cooked and the fat has crisped. Now add the courgette strips to the frying pan and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 minutes until the courgette has begun to soften.
  4. Add cooked onion and garlic to the bacon and courgette in the frying pan and turn onto the lowest heat. This will allow the flavours to infuse gently without burning the garlic.
  5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl beat the two eggs with the cream and parmesan cheese. Add a generous grating of black pepper.
  6. Drain the pasta once cooked and then transfer it back to the warm pan. Pour the egg/cream/cheese mixture over the hot pasta, along with the bacon, onion, garlic and courgette mix. The heat from the pasta should cook the egg, but if unsure pop the pan on a low heat for a couple of minutes.
  7. Finally, season to taste and then serve!

I hope you enjoy this gluten free spaghetti carbonara! For more meal inspiration check out some of my other gluten free midweek recipes:

Bon appetit! x