You Can Make Creamy Carbonara Pasta With These Delicious Hacks

There are a few things you need to know about making carbonara pasta.

One is that many use bacon, and whether this should be guanciale or prosciutto can be a matter up for debate. What is true is that what is available (and affordable as the case may be) is what you can use. Two, the carbonara pasta recipe may or may not use cream. Three, the use of eggs is a challenging one because the carbonara typically uses more than just one or two eggs per serving. Not only that, the challenge is commonly these same eggs because the pasta sauce is created by ensuring that the eggs don’t form into scrambled eggs. This made using cream much easier (and safer) than using eggs to achieve that creaminess we love. 

If you love carbonara and want to learn how else you can make the creamy sauce, here are recipes you can try and what makes it a success: 

1 Classic Carbonara Recipe: just use eggs

If you want to go classic and don’t want to deviate from the real version of the creamy pasta, this is the recipe to try. This version uses bacon, eggs, and cheese plus a little pasta water so you can achieve that silky sauce to coat your pasta noodles. 

2 Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon Recipe: add a little cream

If you are a little intimidated by using just eggs in your carbonara sauce, you can help your pasta sauce become creamy just by adding a little cream to the mixture. This little hack will not only ensure your pasta is creamy but will also help the egg, cheese, water, and pasta bind together to create the pasta you want to eat. Plus, we won’t tell if you won’t! 

3 Chicken Carbonara Recipe: use chicken instead    

Got leftover chicken in the refrigerator? Add it to the pasta! This cream-free version can be just as delicious if you use leftover roast chicken instead of bacon. It’s a great way to add even more meatiness to the dish. Plus, you won’t miss out since you’re clearing out any leftover food and getting a tasty meal in the process, too. 

4 Luncheon Meat Carbonara Recipe: change to luncheon meat

Who said that you have to use bacon? In your house, it’s your choice and when it comes to the meat, you can use your favorite kind that doesn’t need to be defrosted first. This is great news since not everyone thinks far ahead when it comes to cravings that hit at the last minute! Raid your pantry and use that can for more than just frying. 

5 Carbonara with Mushroom Bacon Recipe: switch to mushrooms 

For those of us who love mushrooms, there is a way to make a carbonara pasta dish without using any bacon or even another kind of meat. The not-so-secret secret is swapping the bacon with meaty mushrooms. This switch is delicious and the key is to cook the mushrooms so that they develop incredible flavor before adding the rest of the other ingredients to the sauce. The result is a carbonara dish that can be just as meaty as the original!  

6 Cauliflower and Mushroom Carbonara Recipe: use vegetables 

If you want a healthier version of the carbonara that doesn’t rely solely on the bacon and eggs for its flavor and texture, this is a great hack to the creamy sauce to make it even more hearty. The cauliflower and the mushrooms give this pasta dish even more heft and add more umami. You get all the flavors you want plus a little extra from the veggies that won’t make you feel guilty for enjoying such a decadent meal.  

7 Sisig Carbonara Recipe: make it a mash-up

This mash-up is a delicious combination of two Pinoy dishes: the creamy carbonara and the well-loved sisig. This is one hack that some will probably adore making. Anyone who loves sisig will enjoy the fact that they have another way of eating it, and it doesn’t involve a sizzling plate. The sisig is crispy, fatty, and delicious. It’s a great substitute for bacon, and its flavor marries well with the creamy texture that you will find in a Pinoy-style carbonara. 

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