Our vegetarian carbonara uses meaty pistachios in place of guanciale.
Our creamy lemon pasta with pistachios is the vegetarian carbonara you need. Meaty pistachios stand in for guanciale in this 25-minute entrée you can make on a weeknight. Adding cream to the usual mixture of eggs and Parmesan cheese gives the sauce more body, while buttery homemade breadcrumbs bring the crunch, and plenty of lemon zest brightens the whole dish. Pasta water is the secret ingredient that thins the sauce—if you need to. This meatless pasta is rich and satisfying to eat but quick and easy to make—you’ll be savoring it on repeat.
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 2 slices white sandwich bread
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 cups finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces), plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- Chopped pistachios and chives (optional), for serving
Directions
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Zest lemons and cut long strips of peel; juice lemons:
Grate 2 1/2 teaspoons zest from lemons, then remove remaining zest in long strips with a vegetable peeler. Slice zest thinly (or remove zest with a channel zester); set aside. Squeeze 2 teaspoons of juice from 1 lemon (reserve rest of this lemon for another use).
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Make breadcrumbs; heat butter and toast breadcrumbs with some zest:
In a food processor, pulse bread into very coarse breadcrumbs (you should have 1 cup). Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and 1 teaspoon grated zest. Cook, stirring, until crumbs are golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool completely.
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Combine eggs, yolks, cream, cheese, and zest:
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, cream, cheese, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest.
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Cook pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
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Add pasta to cheese mixture; add remaining butter and lemon juice:
Add pasta to bowl with cheese mixture. Season with a generous amount of pepper and some salt. Use tongs to toss until pasta is fully coated. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and lemon juice; toss until a creamy sauce forms. (If necessary, thin with a little pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time.)
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Serve:
Serve pasta sprinkled with breadcrumbs, pistachios, more cheese, chives, and julienned lemon zest.