Pasta Carbonara: what can you replace cream, bacon and Parmesan cheese with?

Pasta Carbonara is an Italian dish beloved in Russia. But during the cooking process, it may turn out that there is no cream, bacon or parmesan on hand. With what to replace them and not spoil the taste of the dish?

How you can substitute cream for pasta carbonara

In case there is no cream on hand, it can be replaced by sour cream or milk. In this case, it is important to calculate the fat content so that the pasta has the right consistency.

Milk

Carbonara is prepared according to the recipe. Bacon should be lightly fried, pour the milk into the pan. Its volume should be equal to the amount of cream. Then you need to turn down the heat and add yolks, bringing the sauce to the desired thickness.

Milk and Butter

You can also replace cream in carbonara with milk mixed with butter. This can be done in two ways:

1. You need 200 ml of milk with a fat content of 3.5% and 130 g of butter with a fat content of 82%. Pour the milk into a small saucepan or ladle, add the grated butter. You have to add grated butter and heat it up in a saucepan or a pot, until the butter has completely dissolved in the milk. The mixture should not be brought to a boil. After it has cooled, you need to whip it with a blender for 2-3 minutes until it thickens. Before serving, it is important to put the mixture in the refrigerator for 7-8 hours.
2. To prepare an analogue of béchamel sauce, you can also use: 100 g of butter, 1 liter of milk, 10 g of granulated sugar, 50 g of flour. Salt, spices and nutmeg use to taste. Melt half of the butter in a saucepan and add the sifted flour in advance. The mixture is fried until it acquires a creamy hue. It is important not to overcook it. In small portions pour milk, stirring all the time. Cook the mixture on low heat, then add salt, spices and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. When the sauce begins to boil, add the remaining half of the butter. When it has melted, stir it and let it cool.

Similar to béchamel, this sauce will go well with meat dishes and is an excellent accompaniment to fish.

Sour cream

You can replace the cream with sour cream of 20% fat. First of all, it is important to calculate the amount of sauce for the pasta, based on the fact that 0.5 liters of sour cream produces about 300 grams of sauce.

For preparation you will need gauze, folded in several layers. On it you need to put the necessary amount of sour cream, gather the corners and tie. It should turn out a sack. It is hung up, put down a plate where the excess liquid will run down. Leave for 8 hours at room temperature. After that, transfer the mixture to a bowl and whip it with a mixer. You can add sugar or a little vanilla.

How to replace bacon in carbonara

It should be said right away that if you replace the bacon with similar meat, the taste of the pasta will turn out quite different.

If necessary and much desired, bacon in pasta carbonara can be replaced by:

• smoked brisket;
• Sausage / ham;
• jamon;
• Guanchiale (used in the original recipe).

Important! Pasta goes well with shrimp, crab sticks and other seafood.

What kind of cheese can you substitute for parmesan in carbonara?

In the classic version of carbonara, Italian chefs use Pecorino cheese.

Cheeses such as:

• Rokiskis;
• Jugas;
• Dutch or Russian hard cheese.

Important! Substitution of parmesan will slightly change the classic taste of the pasta.

How to Serve Carbonara

Pasta is served only hot. At the same time, in Italy they do not recognize reheated dishes. That's why it is better to eat it freshly cooked.

The dish is decorated with sprigs of basil, raw egg yolk and a sprinkling of cheese. Separately, you can grate cheese on a plate, so everyone can add it to taste. Carbonara is excellent with a dry red wine or tomato juice.

Eat the dish with a fork, gently coiling spaghetti on it from the edge. The sauce is put on a roll of pasta, helping with a knife.

Pasta Carbonara has only recently become popular in Russia, but it is already very popular. Preparing it is not difficult. It is important to have all the ingredients at hand. Only cream can be substituted without loss of taste. For this purpose, sour cream or milk and butter are used.