This egg-free, gluten-free pasta carbonara is deliciously creamy and savory. It’s AIP/Paleo compliant, coconut-free, and comes together quickly for an easy weeknight meal that is sure to please.
Traditional carbonara is made with cured pork, eggs and cheese (typically pecorino romano cheese), gluten-filled pasta and lots of black pepper. I first ate this delicious meal in my gluten-filled days in a restaurant in Rome called Felice a Testaccio. Prior to that point, I wasn’t really drawn to this rich and heavy dish, but, as they say, “When in Rome!” The thing I remember most fondly about the meal is the guanciale that was perfectly crispy and crackling and gave the dish an unmistakable and absolutely amazing flavor.
Like my gluten-free chicken piccata, nightshade free spaghetti and meatsauce, and sweet potato ravioli, this is a lightened-up version of a traditionally rich pasta dish. This egg-free carbonara features an adapted version of the cheesy vegan sauce in my Creamy Cauliflower Gratin and Vegan Queso dip recipe. Zucchini is the undetectable secret ingredient that makes this sauce creamy without the nuts or coconut. Crispy bacon is used in lieu of guanciale for its accessibility and the dish is made grain-free by using cassava pasta. You can swap this with a gluten-free pasta such as rice pasta if you aren’t following an AIP/Paleo diet!
Recipe Ingredients
- zucchini – the secret ingredient that makes a creamy base for the sauce
- apple cider vinegar – adds a slightly acidic taste to the dish to mimic cheese and cuts some of the richness of the bacon
- yellow onions and garlic
- dried thyme, sea salt and extra virgin olive oil
- turmeric – a pinch is all you need to give this sauce that characteristic yellow colour in lieu of egg yolks (optional)
- tapioca starch
- cured pork – guanciale, pancetta or bacon (if AIP, ensure these are AIP-compliant)
- grain free, AIP-compliant pasta – I like cassava pasta or you can try my AIP hand-rolled pasta
How to Make Carbonara
Step 1: BOIL PASTA
Cook the pasta al dente.
STEP 2: SAUTÉ VEGETABLES
First, pour olive oil into a large skillet heated over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they’re translucent, stirring frequently. Then, add the garlic, zucchini, salt, and thyme to the skillet. Cook until the zucchini softens.
STEP 3: BLEND
Next, add the contents into a Vitamix or any high powered blender. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, water, and tapioca starch. Blend until the ingredients are smooth.
STEP 4: COOK BACON
In the same skillet, add your cured pork or bacon and sauté until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside
STEP 5: THICKEN SAUCE & ADD PASTA
Return blended sauce to pan on low heat, add pasta and stir consistently. The tapioca starch will cause the mixture to thicken some more. Remove from heat and serve warm. Top with fresh parsley and black pepper (Core AIP reintroduction).
Expert Tips & Tricks
Ensure that you cook your pasta al dente, especially since you’ll be adding the hot pasta to a hot pan to toss with the carbonara sauce before serving.
I haven’t tested it myself in this recipe, but tapioca starch is typically interchangeable with arrowroot starch when used as a thickening agent as it is here. This change should work in this recipe, although you may need to use a bit more of the arrowroot starch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally carbonara features cured pork, eggs, pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. Other cheeses like Parmesan and Grana Padano are also common.
Alfredo sauce involves cooking heavy cream and butter to make a rich cream sauce, whereas carbonara’s flavour comes from rendered guanciale, eggs and cheese.
Yes, traditionally, carbonara includes raw egg yolk which combines with the cheese to make a glossy sauce. This egg-free version uses a creamy vegan sauce and the addition of turmeric gives it a yellow flavor to mimic egg yolk.
Carbonara is typically served with spaghetti or linguine. However, feel free to use any variation of pasta that you have that suits your diet.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
This dish is best eaten fresh and right after preparing. If you plan to serve at a later date I would suggest storing the carbonara sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Make the bacon before serving and boil the pasta fresh.
If you try this Paleo Pasta Carbonara recipe I would love it if you would give the recipe a star rating and review. Also, be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.
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Carbonara Recipe (Egg-free, Gluten free)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 portions 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This egg-free pasta carbonara is deliciously creamy and savory. It’s gluten free, coconut-free, paleo and AIP compliant and comes together quickly for an easy weeknight meal that is sure to please.
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup zucchini, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- pinch turmeric
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsps tapioca starch
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 6–7 slices AIP-compliant bacon or guanciale, chopped into small pieces
- 4 oz of elbow or fusilli pasta (approximately 2 cups)
Instructions
- Boil pasta as per instructions and set aside in a colander.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium heat. Add onions and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until they begin to turn translucent.
- Next, add crushed garlic, chopped zucchini, sea salt and thyme and cook 6-8 minutes or until zucchini has become soft. Once soft, add to high powered blender along with apple cider vinegar, filtered water, tapioca starch and turmeric and pulse until combined into a smooth sauce.
- In the same skillet, add your chopped pieces of cured pork (guanciale, pancetta or bacon) and sauté until cooked and crispy.
- Reduce heat to low and add sauce and pasta into the pan and stir continuously 1-2 minutes. The tapioca starch will cause the mixture to thicken some more. Remove from heat and serve warm.*
Notes
Black pepper is not AIP-elimination stage compliant. If you’ve successfully reintroduced black pepper into your AIP diet, it’s a great and classic topping to this dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 807
- Sugar: 5.6g
- Fat: 35g
- Protein: 26.5g
My daughter absolutely loved this recipe! I would love to make more for her, but can it be frozen?
I would make the sauce and freeze it but make the pasta fresh!
Thank you!
I’ve made this three times now and it’s my absolute favorite sauce for pasta. I make a batch of sauce and a batch of pasta and keep them separate in the fridge, throw some in a pan when I want, and it’s as good as it is when fresh!
Amazing! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
This is amazing! Thank you for this recipe!
This was absolutely wonderful and so easy to make.
We’re so glad you liked it! Thank you for leaving your review.
this is wonderful! I have never tried non-AIP carbonara but was looking to attend to a pasta craving. love this recipe and as other people have mentioned, the zucchini is undetectable to zucchini-skeptics. my partner doesn’t like zucchini but i grew up growing it and love all zucchini baked goods / zoodles etc. happy to get the creaminess of they provide to the sauce and generally just so happy for a comforting pasta go-to! thank you, truly!
One of my go to meals. Can’t forget the hoards of bacon 🙂
You are a genius! I love that I got to eat with my whole family and cook just one meal. Even better, we all loved it and no one suspected the extra hidden veggie. Thank you!!
Yay Dini! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for leaving your review.
This is so delicious! My heart and stomach are so happy to have this after not being able to eat any cream-based sauces! And I love that it’s zucchini-based (brilliant). Thank you Nicole!
Yay! My heart is happy for you too. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
What can you replace tapioca starch with? Would an arrowroot powder work if just using for thickness?
Yes that should work!
This was delicious!! Can’t wait to try more of Nicole’s amazing recipes! Next up: cinnamon rolls!
This was amazing! So simple but it had so much flavor. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
LOVE this recipe. And quote from my partner was “your protocol is delicious”
Thankful, as others are, for a “creamy” sauce without coconut
Thank you!!
Thanks so much Kelsey for taking time to write this review. I’m so glad you and your partner enjoyed!
Made this with shrimp and spaghetti squash. SO DELICIOUS!! I’m so happy to have carbonara back and guilt free!!
Another fantastic recipe from Nicole! This carbonara comes together quickly, is incredibly satisfying and pure comfort food. I paired it with her sweet potato gnocchi, which I found to be the perfect pasta for this sauce. AIP + coconut-free recipe = RARE PERFECTION!
Thank you, Amanda <3
This recipe was both so delicious and so satisfying! I could not believe how creamy the sauce could be with zucchini as the main ingredient (AND coconut free)!! The flavor also balanced out the bacon perfectly! Will 100% be making this again!
This is UN. REAL. It’s the comfort food I didn’t know I needed. When I made this I literally said, out loud, “Nichole can cook!” Ha! Thank you for making our AIP world way more tolerable, fun, and tasty. XOXO
Hahaha thank you Faith!
DELIC! First off I love a sauce with a hidden veg! And second this recipe is coconut free which is a rare find in the AIP world. Such a quick, delicious, filling dinner! ??
Yay! So happy you enjoyed, thanks for reviewing Kendra!
So simple yet so delicious. My daughter also loved it. I definitely be making this again, and again!