Padma Lakshmi inspires me constantly in the culinary industry. From her advocacy on immigrant food rights to innovation in the kitchen, it doesn’t take much for the Taste the Nation creator to convince me that one of her recipes is good. So when I stumbled upon her cooking tutorial on Instagram for a quick-to-make and dairy-free carbonara, I knew I had to try it.
The pasta in question demands only five ingredients: spaghetti, eggs, pancetta, salt, and pepper. “Carbonara is great to make at 2 in the morning because when you’re really hungry and there’s nothing in the fridge, you’ll always have a box of pasta and some eggs,” Lakshmi said in the Instagram clip. If anyone is up at those hours, they’re probably not in the best state of mind, so I know this meal comes together with little fuss. But would it cure my late-night hunger? Even without a hefty grating of cheese on top? I decided to test it out on an evening when I was extra-ravenous to give it a shot.
How to Make Padma Lakshmi’s Carbonara
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Meanwhile, fry the pancetta in a sauté pan until it turns crispy and red. In another small pan, gently toast some black peppercorns until they become fragrant. Add the peppercorns to a mortar and use a pestle to grind them up. Next, get a large bowl and add the eggs, whisking them until they turn a pale yellow color.
To assemble the spaghetti carbonara, grab another medium-sized bowl and add 1/4 of the whisked eggs. Then, toss in about half of the pancetta and combine the ingredients. Next, add a small portion of the pasta into this bowl and quickly mix it to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Repeat this step by adding the spaghetti and egg mixture and mixing rapidly until the sauce evenly coats the pasta. Then pour in the remainder of the pancetta, pepper, and salt, and combine everything. At this point, you can serve it as is or top it off with cheese.
My Honest Review of Padma Lakshmi’s Carbonara
I love finding simple pasta dishes to add to my rotation, and Lakshmi’s carbonara makes the cut. It’s rich and creamy, thanks to the meticulously whipped eggs. You’d have no idea it’s lacking in cheese because the salty bites of pancetta step in for the briny Parmesan missing in the recipe.
It’s a bit of a science to ensure you get a good balance of sauce to pasta without it feeling like you’re slurping up a goopy mess. While the video does not have any measurements, I recommend a ratio of one pound of spaghetti to four eggs.
I appreciated the Top Chef host’s hack for preventing the eggs from scrambling by adding a small amount of pasta to the mixture at a time. I’m proud to share that there were no eggy bits in my spaghetti. Her culinary prowess also shines with the clever addition of toasted, ground black peppercorns, which give the sauce an aromatic and subtly spicy flavor.
While Lakshmi relies on this carbonara recipe to satisfy her late-night hanger, I intend to cook it at any time of the day because it’s seriously delicious. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t grate a bunch of Parmesan on top of my pasta when I finished cooking it — but that’s because cheese is practically a food group for me. Dairy or not, this dish is one to try if you’re looking for a non-fussy yet creamy, flavorful, and comforting meal.
