Lemony Low FODMAP Carbonara
Our Lemony Low FODMAP Carbonara will curb any carb cravings you are having!
Ingredients:
- 16- ounces (455 g) low FODMAP gluten-free spaghetti, such as Jovial
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 6- ounces (170 g) guanciale, cut into 1/2 inch (12 mpieces
- 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Lots of freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine lemon zest
Preparation:
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Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook pasta until it is just shy of “al dente” and still has a slight firmness, reserving 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of starchy cooking liquid.
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Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a 10 to 12 inch (25 cm to 30.5 cm) skillet over medium heat, add guanciale, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork fat begins to render and the guanciale lightly browns, about 5 minutes. Take off heat but keep warm.
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While pasta is boiling and guanciale is cooking, break egg yolks into a large mixing bowl, stir in about 1 1/4 cups (125 g) of the cheese (mixture will look thick), stir in lemon juice and grind a generous amount of black pepper on top.
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Once pasta is drained (with the 1 1/2 cups/360 ml of cooking water reserved), place skillet with guanciale back over very low heat, add pasta and quickly toss the pasta to coat for about 15 to 30 seconds; make sure the pasta is coated and warmed. REMOVE from heat.
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Immediately add about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the pasta water to your egg/cheese mixture and whisk to loosen. Quickly add this mixture to pasta and begin to toss. Add more pepper and water as you toss and a creamy sauce will develop (see Tips). Keep adding water and tossing until the pasta is coated with a rich, creamy sauce. Serve immediately with more black pepper, reserved cheese and lemon zest on top.
Notes:
Tips
- I love to make this dish with a combo of Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheese. The extra-sharpness of the sheep milk based Romano adds another layer of flavor. Not necessary, but a great variation.
- The one tricky part of this dish is to not curdle the egg yolks. My technique recommends combining the ingredients off of the heat, so this should not happen. There is a stage during which you are tossing the pasta where you might think the mixture has curdled, but it is most likely that you just haven’t added enough pasta water, which is integral to creating this “sauce”. If your mixture looks sticky or gloppy, simply keep adding the reserved pasta water a little bit at a time. Toss as you go, until the mixture is silky and creamy. The pasta should look like it is coated with heavy cream and the reason why this dish is often mistakenly believed to contain cream.
- This delicious dish is rich in fat and should be enjoyed as a special occasion meal; tolerance to fat is very individual and can contribute to GI distress for some folks. Watch your portions; fill half your plate with a big green salad.
If You Can Tolerate
- Fructans: If you have passed the wheat fructan challenge feel free to use traditional pasta.