Halloumi carbonara takes traditional spaghetti carbonara and makes it vegetarian by swapping the bacon for halloumi! It’s the perfect pasta dinner with a blend of salty, creamy, and chewy flavors and textures.
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Pasta is a staple in our house, and we’re always looking to try new combinations and flavors. A lot of people would say spaghetti carbonara is one of their favorite pastas, so I set out to see if I could make it vegetarian. As it turns out, it’s fantastic!
What is carbonara?
Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish that is traditionally made with eggs, hard cheese (parmesan or romano), and pork (guanciale, pancetta, or bacon). The eggs cook by adding them to the hot pasta, creating a creamy, luxurious sauce.
What is in vegetarian carbonara?
This vegetarian spaghetti carbonara uses pan fried halloumi instead of bacon. The halloumi gets delightfully crispy and adds a salty, fatty flavor to the recipe.
Halloumi carbonara ingredients
- Spaghetti
- Halloumi
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Egg yolks
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper
How to make carbonara without bacon
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package direction, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Whisk together egg yolks and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Set aside.
- When the pasta has about 6 minutes of cooking left, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the halloumi and fry until crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the pasta to the halloumi mixture, remove from the heat, and slowly pour in the egg mixture, using tongs or a similar tool to toss the pasta with the sauce.
- Add pasta water a splash at a time as needed until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Top tips and questions
How to separate eggs
There are several ways you can separate eggs. I like to crack one in half, then pass the yolk back and forth between the two halves, letting the whites run out into a bowl.
You could also crack the entire egg into your hand, letting the whites run through your fingers into a bowl. If you get a little bit of egg shell in your eggs, use one half of the shell to scoop it out easily.
Try to keep your yolks in tact for the best result. If you lose some of the yolk or mix in some of the egg white, your sauce will not be the same.
How to prevent lumpy eggs
It is very important to slowly heat and cook the eggs. If you cook the eggs too quickly they will curdle, similar to scrambled eggs.
To do this, bring your eggs to room temperature before you start cooking, slowly whisk the pasta water into the eggs, and make sure you turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove before stirring the eggs into the pasta.
What is halloumi?
Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese usually made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk. It has a squeaky texture and is great for frying or grilling because it will hold its shape.
I find halloumi in the cheese section of the grocery store, near the paneer, feta, and goat cheese.
Is halloumi carbonara vegetarian?
Halloumi, as well as many hard cheeses like Parmesan, may be made with animal rennet. If this is important to you, be sure to check your label to see if it is made with vegetable derived rennet.
Is carbonara safe to eat?
Carbonara is generally considered safe to eat because the eggs cook with the heat of the pasta. However, if you are at an increased risk for infection or illness, or if you are pregnant, you may choose to avoid carbonara since there is a small chance of illness if the eggs aren’t cooked properly.
Which pasta is best for carbonara?
The raw eggs need a pasta with a large surface area but little volume in order to cook properly. Spaghetti is ideal for this, with its long, thin strands, but other long, thin pasta shapes would work as well.
What is the best cheese to use for vegetarian pasta carbonara?
Freshly grated parmesan cheese is best so that it can melt into the sauce. I do not recommend using the powdered parmesan you find in a can, or pre-shredded parmesan. As stated above, check to see if your parmesan is made with vegetable rennet.
How to store vegetarian spaghetti carbonara
Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but is best enjoyed as soon as possible. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or, better yet, stirred in a pan on the stove top with a little oil.
Can carbonara sauce be frozen?
Pasta with carbonara can be frozen, but I don’t really recommend it as it will lose quality. The sauce is very delicate, and since it cooks directly with the pasta it can’t be frozen separately. If you do choose to freeze it, enjoy within 3 months.
Tips for customizing
- Halloumi may not come in the same size package everywhere, so feel free to use more or less depending on what is available to you
- Finish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley
- Add chopped, cooked asparagus at the very end
- Swap the Parmesan cheese for Pecorino Romano
- Meat eaters can add crumbled bacon and/or diced, cooked chicken
More pasta recipes
- Halloumi Stroganoff
- Penne al Pomodoro
- Spaghetti Arrabbiata
- Tomato and Feta Pasta
- Baked Ravioli
- Easy Fettuccine Alfredo
- Spaghetti Aglio Olio
- Pesto Linguine
- Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
- Roasted Garlic and Broccoli Pasta
- Olive Oil Alfredo Sauce
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Halloumi Carbonara
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti, make sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking water
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Coarse kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces halloumi, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- When the pasta has about 6 minutes left to cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the halloumi and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the spaghetti to the pan and remove from the heat.
- Whisk ½ cup of the reserved pasta water slowly into the egg mixture.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti, using tongs to toss it with the sauce and keep it moving. If needed, add more pasta water to the pasta until you have a glossy sauce that coats the pasta.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Tips for customizing
- Halloumi may not come in the same size package everywhere, so feel free to use more or less depending on what is available to you
- Finish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley
- Add chopped, cooked asparagus at the very end
- Swap the Parmesan cheese for Pecorino Romano
- Meat eaters can add crumbled bacon and/or diced, cooked chicken
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