Pasta Prosciutto Carbonara {Paleo, AIP Reintroduction}

We’ve been loving this very simple Pasta Prosciutto Carbonara for some time now, and I think the time has come for you to enjoy it too.

This pasta prosciutto carbonara recipe has a creamy salinity that satisfies beyond belief. It’s also the quickest meal ever and guaranteed to spread happiness to everyone at your table. All you need is a handful of ingredients that, if you're anything like me, you'll have in your kitchen already.

About the ingredients

Eggs : If you haven't started reintroductions yet, or haven't prioritized eggs, put them at the top of your stage 1 and stage 2 list. Egg yolks are a stage 1 reintroduction so be sure you've tried them separately before moving on to the whites, which are in stage 2. 

I advise my clients to try egg yolks early on in the reintro process, as well as a few other stage 1 foods before moving on to egg whites. If you'd like a list of the reintroduction stages and foods in each one, look here.

Eggs are highly nutrient dense and, where tolerated, a valuable food to have in your diet. Consider the fact that adding these foods back in can actually elevate your healing potential - you may even see a return of the more challenging foods from later reintroduction stages that bit sooner. Once you have eggs back in rotation, your food choices and the speed with which you can make a quick, nutritious meal increase immeasurably.

Coconut Yogurt : Always check the ingredients before purchasing coconut yogurt because manufacturers often sneak in ingredients that aren't AIP compliant, such as emulsifiers and gums. Coconut yogurt can be pricey but is easily be made and works out much more cost effective in the long run. The brand I use and recommend is Yoggu, which is a Vancouver-based company. However if you're in the US or elsewhere, try CoYo or Culina brands.

Sea Vegetables : Not exactly traditional in a carbonara, so let's gloss over that. I'm all for sneaking more nutrients in where I can, and sea vegetables work in this recipe. Sea vegetables are well worth a space in your pantry, because they're rich in minerals that you don't necessarily get from land vegetables. Don't forget, your body can't make minerals, instead it relies on you to ingest them so variety is key! I have a range of sea vegetables in my cupboard, but the coarse blend I prefer in this recipe is this one or there's this one too.

Prosciutto : I used to favour bacon for this recipe but have since defected to prosciutto. It's softer texture suits the pasta, plus it cuts out a cooking step resulting in less washing up. This is now a one pan meal and these things matter, no?

Black Pepper : A stage 1 reintroduction, this is another important ingredient to get back into your diet. I say this because when you go out to eat, or purchase anything from a deli counter or packaged, there's a strong chance black pepper will be on the ingredient list. Widen those options.

Parmesan : This is a stage 3 reintroduction and absolutely not a deal breaker for making this recipe. I enjoy a bowl of this pasta prosciutto carbonara - parmesan or no parmesan (most often no parmesan)!

Can you make this pasta carbonara ahead of time?

No, honestly this is a cinch to make and deserves to be enjoyed the minute it’s finished cooking. Eggs continue to cook as they stand so making this recipe ahead will compromise it for sure. 

Can you freeze this pasta prosciutto carbonara?

As mentioned above, don’t do it. Please just don’t.

What if I’ve reintroduced egg yolks but not egg whites yet?

I've got you! Follow these instructions for separating the eggs and using just the yolks: Crack one egg at a time into the palm of your hand over the sink. Now very gently run cold water over the yolk and allow the white to run through your slightly opened fingers. This should remove all traces of the egg white. Put the yolk into a bowl and repeat with the remaining eggs.

For the recipe, use the egg yolks and increase the amount of coconut yogurt by a couple of tablespoons to compensate.

Need some help with reintroductions?

Check out my cookbook The Autoimmune Protocol  Reintroduction Cookbook. It'll help fast track you to the reintro phase and then support you as you go through it. You also get 100 yummy recipes, most of which can be made elimination compliant if that's what you need. Yay!

Pasta Prosciutto Carbonara

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves 2-3
Print the recipe here!

Ingredients -

1 box cassava penne pasta

generous pinch coarse sea salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut yogurt

2 tablespoons sea vegetables

1 x 100g packet prosciutto, cut into bite size pieces

black pepper (optional) - stage 1 reintro

grated parmesan (optional) - stage 3 reintro

Cook the pasta as per manufacturer’s instructions, in a large pan of salted boiling water.

Meanwhile whisk the eggs, yogurt and sea vegetables together in a medium bowl, with a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.  

Drain the cooked pasta and return to pan. Take the pan off the heat and add the prosciutto. Stir in the egg mixture and allow the heat of the pasta to partially cook the eggs. The mixture should be creamy and not scrambled.  

Serve immediately.  

Note : Grind some black pepper and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top if using. I rarely do this, the recipe is good enough without these additions.