Tagliatelle Carbonara is a rich, delicious, easy-to-make variation of the Italian classic pasta dish. It uses simple ingredients, including gluten free pasta, and comes together in about 25 minutes so that you can enjoy this popular Italian pasta recipe any day of the week.
You just can’t beat the decadent, delicious flavor of carbonara sauce. Each bite is silky and has a flavor that takes you to another place. It’s elegant, comforting, yet one of the easiest Italian recipes to make.
Everyone will think you spent hours making it, but it comes together in about 25 minutes and uses simple ingredients you likely have in your kitchen.
This Tagliatelle Carbonara is one of my favorite Italian recipes to make.
Other classic Italian gluten free sauce recipes are Ragu Alla Bolognese, Sunday Sauce, Gluten Free Alfredo Sauce, and Gluten-Free Marinara Sauce.
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Reasons you’ll love this recipe.
- Easy to make. This carbonara is made quickly using only a handful of classic Italian ingredients.
- Incredible flavor. The white wine, garlic, and pancetta are magic in this recipe.
- Amazing texture. Egg yolks, cheese, and pasta water create a creamy sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta.
- Everyone loves this. Make it for a romantic dinner for two or to enjoy with friends.
Ingredients
Besides the pasta, All of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free. However, it’s still essential to read labels and ask questions where appropriate to make sure all ingredients are gluten-free before using in this recipe.
Tagliatelle. Traditional carbonara sauce uses spaghetti noodles, but I love using Jovial Gluten Free Tagliatelle. It is one of my favorite kinds of pasta and works perfectly with the silky texture of carbonara sauce.
Tagliatelle is a wider pasta, similar to fettuccine. Of course, you can use any gluten free pasta. Still, I encourage you to pick up a box of Jovial GF Tagliatelle because the texture and taste are superior in this carbonara recipe.
You can find Jovial pasta in the Gluten-free section of the grocery store. If you can’t find it at your local grocery, try checking out Thrive Market, they offer lots of gluten-free Italian products at great prices.
Pancetta. Authentic pasta carbonara uses guanciale, an Italian cured meat made from pork jowl or cheeks. You can usually find it at an Italian deli or specialty meat store.
Sometimes my grocery store will have it, but it’s challenging to find most of the time. So, I mostly use pancetta when I make this tagliatelle carbonara recipe.
Pancetta is one of my favorite ingredients in Italian cooking; it has a fabulous subtle smokey flavor that elevates any recipe. When purchasing pancetta, ask for it to be cut into thick slices because you’ll need to dice it into small pieces.
Garlic cloves. Chopped garlic cloves cooked in the rendered pancetta fat start the delicious flavor foundation for this carbonara tagliatelle.
White wine. Chardonnay is my favorite white wine to use in carbonara. I don’t recommend red wine because it’s supposed to be a creamier sauce lighter in color, and red wine will change that. Also, white wine provides a better flavor than red in this sauce.
Egg yolks. One of the key ingredients in a classic carbonara recipe is egg yolks; they give the sauce a fantastic decadent, rich flavor. It’s best to use high-quality organic pasture-raised eggs brought to room temperature. I know using raw eggs is a little scary, but the heat of the pasta and sauce will be enough to heat the eggs to a safe temperature to eat.
Grated parmesan. The final layer of flavor comes from parmesan cheese, and I recommend grating the parmesan cheese fresh for the best taste and results. If you live near a wholesale store (BJ’s, Costco, or Sam’sSam’s Club), check for great prices on large chunks of fresh parmesan cheese.
How to Make Tagliatelle Carbonara
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook al dente according to the package directions. This is important. When the pasta is almost done cooking, remove ½ cup of pasta water from the pot.
- Drain the pasta and set it aside while you prepare the carbonara sauce.
- Add the diced pancetta into a large pan, cooking over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and starts to get crispy. This takes around 4-5 minutes.
- There should be enough fat in the frying pan to saute the garlic in, but if not, then add a light swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the white wine and cook for about 3 minutes or until it’s reduced by half.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the pasta to the pan, and then slowly toss in the egg yolks, cheese, and drizzle in just enough pasta water until a light silky smooth sauce is created and coats the pasta. I like to use tongs for this step. You’ll only need a small amount of the pasta water, maybe ¼ cup, but perhaps a little more or less.
- Give it a quick taste, and then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Supplies
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large pot
- Large skillet or frying pan
Cooking tips
- Traditional carbonara sauce doesn’t use cream; it gets its silky, creamy texture from the pasta water and egg yolks, and that’s all you need.
- Don’t forget the pasta water; this is essential to bring the ingredients together into a sauce.
- Make sure to remove the pan from the heat before adding the eggs. You don’t want to add the egg yolks to the pan when it’s still over the heat because that will cause the eggs to scramble. You want the pan to be warm enough to bring the yolks to a safe eating temperature, but you don’t want them to cook.
- For best results, have the eggs be at room temperature before using them in the recipe. Cold eggs will be harder to bring to a safe temperature and might result in clumps.
- You can use parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, whichever one you prefer and have on hand.
- If you can’t find pancetta or guanciale you can use a thick cut smokey bacon. It will have a stronger flavor than the pancetta but still work.
- You can cut the pancetta into strips or diced into small pieces. I prefer the spices because then you get a piece of pancetta in each bite.
Serving suggestions
Tagliatelle carbonara is delicious with a side gluten free caesar salad and gluten free garlic bread. It’s also good with a side of roasted Italian vegetables.
Storage
Tagliatelle carbonara is best enjoyed the day you make it. However, if there are leftovers, then store those can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for four days.
How to reheat carbonara sauce
- Reheat carbonara sauce by taking it out of the fridge and sitting on the counter for about 5 minutes.
- Then place into a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring lightly, so it doesn’t stick and burn to the bottom of the pan.
- Drizzle in a splash of stock, milk, or cream to loosen up the carbonara and bring the sauce back to life.
- Finish with grated parmesan cheese.
Other Gluten free Italian recipes
- Gluten-Free Meatballs
- Gluten-Free Baked Ziti
- Gluten-Free Lasagna
- Vodka Cream Sauce
- Sicilian Chicken Soup
See more gluten free dinner recipes.
Tagliatelle Carbonara (Gluten Free)
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large pot
- Pasta strainer
- Large frying pan
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 9 ounce box of Jovial Gluten Free Tagliatelle pasta
- 1/2 lb thickly sliced pancetta diced into pieces or cut into strips
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 egg yolks brought to room temperature and beaten
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese more for serving
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook al dente according to the package directions. This is important. When the pasta is almost done cooking, remove ½ cup of pasta water from the pot.
- Drain the pasta and set it aside while you prepare the carbonara sauce.
- Add the diced pancetta into a large pan, cooking over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and starts to get crispy. This takes around 4-5 minutes.
- There should be enough fat in the frying pan to saute the garlic in, but if not, then add a light swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the white wine and cook for about 3 minutes or until it's reduced by half.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the pasta to the pan, and then slowly toss in the egg yolks, cheese, and drizzle in just enough pasta water until a light silky smooth sauce is created and coats the pasta. I like to use tongs for this step. You'll only need a small amount of the pasta water, maybe ¼ cup, but perhaps a little more or less.
- Give it a quick taste, and then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Where do I even start with this recipe! It’s absolutely delicious! Omg so silky and so much amazing flavor. And so easy to make.
Yay! So glad you loved it.