Spaghetti alla Carbonara
The Roman classic — every bit as silky and indulgent, made safe for sensitive guts.
The FODMAP swaps
Classic carbonara is naturally close to FODMAP-safe — eggs, hard cheese, and cured pork contain no FODMAPs. Just two small swaps are needed.
- →Regular wheat spaghettiRice spaghetti or gluten-free pastaWheat is high in fructans. Rice pasta has identical texture when cooked al dente.
- →Fresh garlic clovesGarlic-infused olive oilGarlic fructans are water-soluble, not oil-soluble — the flavour transfers, the FODMAPs stay behind. Learn more →
Ingredients
- 200gRice spaghetti or gluten-free spaghetti
- 100gPancetta or guanciale, diced
- 3Eggs (2 whole + 1 yolk)FODMAP-free ↗
- 40gPecorino Romano, finely grated
- 20gParmesan, finely grated
- 1 tbspGarlic-infused olive oilSafe swap for garlic ↗
- 120mlPasta water (reserved)
- To tasteFreshly ground black pepper + salt
Method
- 1Make the egg mixture
Whisk the whole eggs, egg yolk, Pecorino, and Parmesan in a bowl. Season very generously with black pepper — this is the backbone of the sauce. Set aside at room temperature.
- 2Crisp the pancetta
Warm the garlic-infused oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden and crisp — about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat.
- 3Cook the pasta
Cook rice spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until just al dente. Before draining, scoop out 120ml (½ cup) of pasta water.
- 4Bring it together — off the heat
Add drained pasta to the pan with the pancetta, off the heat. Toss to coat. Pour the egg mixture over, tossing quickly and continuously, adding pasta water a splash at a time until you have a glossy, silky sauce.
Key tip: Keep the pan off the heat when adding eggs. Residual pasta heat cooks them gently. Return to flame and you will have scrambled eggs. - 5Serve immediately
Divide between warmed bowls. Finish with extra Pecorino and a final grind of black pepper.
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