Spaghetti alla Carbonara, aka Spaghetti and eggs…

Back when I ate pasta, spaghetti alla carbonara was one of my favorite dishes. It had the smokey pancetta, a creamy egg based sauce that held it all together, and then of course, pasta. On top of it being great tasting, it’s also quite easy to make and a great last minute whip together meal. Throw in the fact that you can do it all in one pot, and we have a winner.

Don’t worry, there isn’t some weird, hard to find, gluten-free spaghetti in this recipe. We’re going to turn zucchinis into “spaghetti.” I personally use and love the Paderno Spiral Slicer for this task, yet you can also use a julienne peeler like this one or this one. I highly recommend the Paderno, as I use it about 4 times a week, and it is also a much faster way of making veggie noodles.

What you need (serves 2):

• 1 large pot or deep rimmed enamel pan.
• 1 spiral slicer or julienne peeler.
• wooden spoon.

• 2 medium zucchinis.
• 1/4 to a 1/2 pound of pancetta, diced small. More or less to your preference.
• 4 eggs, room temperature.
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk.
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced.
• black pepper to taste.
• Italian flat leaf parsley (for garnish)
• optional: grated parmesan cheese

How you make it:

1. In a bowl, whisk together your eggs and coconut milk, adding a pinch or two of black pepper.
2. Heat your pot or pan to medium high heat, and add your pancetta.
3. Stir around well until your pancetta is golden and crispy, this should take 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Remove your pancetta and set it aside in a bowl, lower your heat to medium.
5. Add your minced garlic and stir in the pancetta fat until aromatic.
6. Add your zucchini noodles and stir. Cook until they are tender and excess water cooks off. This process should take 5 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat back up to medium high to quickly finish this step.
7. Remove your pot or pan from the heat and dump in your egg and coconut milk mixture, as well as 3/4 of your cooked pancetta.
8. Stir fast and well, as the eggs will cook quickly and coat the noodles. As soon as the egg appears set, remove the dish from your pot and pan and plate it. Be careful not to overcook your eggs. Remember, only add your egg mixture once your pot or pan is removed from the burner it was on to a “cold” burner.
9. Garnish with the remaining pancetta.
10. Optional: garnish with flat-leaf parsley and/or grated parmesan cheese.