This vegetarian carbonara is quick and delicious; An egg yolk is mixed into the pasta to create a sauce, and smoked mozzarella is used in place of bacon.
This position was created in partnership with Earthbound Farm Organic; All opinions are our own.
Spring has officially arrived (hallelujah!) and we’re running a fever. Tulips grow in our front yard and we all smell like spring peas and baby spinach and earth day. Do you feel it? (Maybe not if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere or Minnesota, or if you’re reading this in any month other than April.) In honor of the warmer weather and general feeling of appreciation for Mother Earth this month, we have this Vegetarian Carbonara And Seven earth-friendly cooking tips to start the month of April.
Related:14 egg recipes for dinner
How to make vegetarian carbonara
Well, what exactly is carbonara? Pasta carbonara is an Italian (Roman, to be precise) invention: an incredibly tasty pasta recipe made with long pasta, eggs, pecorino or parmesan cheese, and bacon or guanicale. The raw egg is mixed into the hot pasta and made into a delicious creamy yolk sauce. Since Alex and I are mostly vegetarian, we wanted to create a vegetarian carbonara recipe! This version is a spring version with some spring vegetables added.
To mimic the smoky flavor of bacon, this vegetarian carbonara recipe uses smoked mozzarella instead! It’s also mixed with spring veggies: green peas and some sautéed spinach to add extra nutrients and texture. The combination of cheese and the creamy, complex flavor of egg yolk blended like an instant sauce gives pasta a springy yet light flavor that’s hugely satisfying.
7 kitchen hacks that are saving the earth
Along with this vegetarian carbonara recipe, we wanted to offer some earth-friendly cooking tips for Earth Day. Our planet is a wonderful place to live, and to ensure our children and grandchildren are taken care of, we need to take good care of it. Let’s love our earth! Although this is an extremely complex task and far more than any one of us can do alone, small concrete steps can actually begin to have a positive impact on the earth. Here are some tips on cooking and using your kitchen that can help you save the planet:
- Buy organic. Organically labeled fruit and vegetables are grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizers containing synthetic ingredients and without irradiation, the seeds and cuttings are chemical-free, and the fertilizer is natural. Organic practices promote resource cycling, ecological balance and biodiversity. Basically, this corresponds to a happy planet. (And happy bodies, too.) We used organic spinach and peas in this vegetarian carbonara.
- Don’t buy too much. Americans waste 30-40% of the food we buy. Plan your meals carefully and only buy what you need to reduce waste (and save money!).
- compost. Composting allows your kitchen waste to be turned into nutritious soil instead of rotting in landfills and releasing excess (raw) methane. It’s great fun turning your waste into food for your flowers and herbs. In fact, Alex is obsessed. If you want to get started, check out Composting 101.
- Bring reusable kitchen bags. Reusable kitchen bags reduce single-use waste. As popular as they have become, plastic and paper are still prevalent in the grocery stores we frequent. I always have two of these bags in my purse!
- Use rags instead of paper towels. Our friend Ashley did some research and inspired us to use cloth rags instead of paper towels several times, which is eco-friendly in the long run. We just bought a couple of these cleaning wipes and are enjoying them.
- To recycle. Ah. However, since it’s not an intuitive process in every city, you may not have taken the necessary steps to incorporate it into your daily life. Here’s a friendly reminder! Also, don’t forget to rinse or wipe down your food waste containers before recycling. This usually helps with processing once the items arrive at the factory.
- eat vegetables. It is widely accepted that eating more vegetables has less of an impact on the environment as it uses fewer resources overall than eating meat. This is actually why we started eating mostly vegetarian meals in the first place and why we started this blog! (We read this amazing non-judgmental book.) So whip up this vegetarian carbonara and let the saving of the earth begin.
More vegetarian pasta recipes
Aside from this vegetarian carbonara recipe, here are some of our favorite vegetarian pasta recipes:
This recipe is…
This vegetarian carbonara recipe is vegetarian.
The description
This vegetarian carbonara is quick and delicious; An egg yolk is mixed into the pasta to create a sauce, and smoked mozzarella is used in place of bacon.
- 1 Spaghetti Noodle Book
- ½ cup smoked mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese and more to serve
- 4 egg yolk
- 1 cup Earthbound Farm Organic Frozen Peas
- 8 cups Earthbound Farm Organic Spinach
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- In a large saucepan, combine 6 liters of water with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and bring to a boil.
- Grate parmesan and mozzarella. Carefully separate four egg yolks and set aside.
- Once cooked, add the pasta and cook until pasta is just al dente, about 7 minutes; Then add the peas and spinach and cook for 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and vegetables.
- In a skillet, melt the butter, then stir in the cheese, ¼ cup cooking water, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir the pasta and vegetables over a low heat until creamy, adding more pasta water if necessary (note that the mozzarella will stick in some places).
- To serve, top each portion of pasta with a whole egg yolk and additional Parmesan and stir the yolk into the pasta at the table (if you don’t like serving yolks at the table, stir the yolk into the pasta in the pan to heat). Serve immediately. (Note that mozzarella cheese can get sticky the longer the pasta sits, so eat it right away if possible. Leftovers can be reheated in a pan, but may not have the same creamy texture.)
Remarks
Eating undercooked eggs can increase your risk of foodborne illness. If you don’t plan to serve yolks at the table, you can stir the yolks into the noodles in the pan to reheat.
The smoked mozzarella in this recipe is reminiscent of the bacon traditionally used in carbonara; If you can’t find it, use traditional mozzarella or substitute the parmesan (using 1 cup total of parmesan).
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Italian
Keywords: vegetarian carbonara, vegetarian pasta recipe
