Carbonara with no cream

[chesterfuckingdraws]

I believe traditionally carbonara doesn't have cream in the sauce but I've always used it.
We're trying to be healthier but really fancy a good bowl of pasta for tea.

Is carbonara with no cream nice?
Is it as easy as the recipes suggest?
Will we disappointed?

DH is sceptical and is considering a McDonald's for dessert already!

It's lovely with no cream, far nicer I think than with cream!!

I love it without cream and so easy. What recipe are you planning to follow?

I've only ever used egg and liked it, there's slimming world recipe with zero percent yoghurt if you fancy something halfway

Much nicer with egg, try it!

Well seeing as Italians wouldn't dream of making carbonara with cream, yes it is very nice made the 'proper' way.

I never use cream

Always cook carbonara with no cream in this house . Traditional recipes use beaten egg instead, which is only lightly cooked once the pan has been removed from the heat (otherwise you get scrambled egg!). Most recipes tell you to reserve a little of the pasta cooking water to losen up the mixture so it's not too dry. I think the key to good flavour is the quality of the meat used - ie pancetta or guanciale.

I never use cream just egg yolks and a bit of full fat milk and pancetta.

I never use cream!!

Just eggs and Parmesan for the sauce. I often add mushrooms to the bacon so not super traditional.

Love carbonara.

We do three eggs, a couple of tablespoons of milk, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix it all up and put over pasta and bacon. Then add 50 g of Parmesan. Tasted lovely and not too unhealthy. Some Parmesan On tip too if you fancy

Carbonara should never have cream!

I use this recipe and it always works.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1052/ultimate-spaghetti-carbonara

BTW I don't think carbonara minus cream really counts as 'more healthy'

It’s nicer without cream, because you’re not diluting the cheese and egg yolks as much. So I don’t think it’s necessarily any healthier

For 2 people:
Fry lardons & a chopped onion
Beat 2 eggs
Grate Manchego cheese into the eggs
Stir the bacon & onions into the cooked pasta
Tip in the egg/cheese mix and stir

Yum yum

You could add some chopped mushrooms to the onion/bacon mix.

Might not be authentic carbonara but it tastes lovely. Might have it for tea tonight.

Never cream! I use Nigella's recipe from How to Eat, but generally "adapt" it to what I have in. Generally a pack of pancetta cubes, 2 eggs whisked, half a glass of white wine & about 4-5 tablespoons of grated parmesan, pepper & salt if needed.
So easy & v tasty!

I use egg and a bit of milk and tiny bit of cheese. I also put a bit of garlic paste into the mix to twist it up a bit

Oh I know it's not healthy with the cheese and egg and pasta but it's a wee bit better without the huge amount of cream I normally whack in

I always add mushrooms to everything carbonara so planned to make it my usual way but omit the cream.
So just 1 whole egg, 1 yolk and some pepper and Parmesan and stir it all in together and hope for the best.

I never use cream, I just make white sauce with skimmed milk, margarine, cheese and flour.

BTW I don't think carbonara minus cream really counts as 'more healthy' grin
You don’t understand how coronary artery disease works then.

We use cream cheese for our sauce!

If you are making a white sauce, you aren't making carbonara. You are making pasta with white sauce.

I think it’s nicer with cream but without is ok. A lighter flavour, not bad.

I think Italians are horrified when they hear what they do to their Carbonara!

I had to laugh - I was reading in the paper a few days ago about Spag Bol not being an authentic Italian dish. I knew that. Did anyone think it was??!!

The Slimming World recipe is actually really nice. I've also made it with Greek yogurt (full fat, but fat free would probably also work).

Mushrooms in this sort of thing is always good and another way to make it healthier is to substitute some of the spaghetti with spiralised courgettes.

Mine is usually just egg yolks, lots and lots of Parmesan, some black pepper all mixed together and fried pancetta cubes, tipped into pasta off the heat with a tiny bit of pasta water.