Name: Vegetarian Carbonara
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 12 oz. fettuccine or other long pasta; Kosher salt; 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2" –3" pieces; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; Freshly ground black pepper; ¾ tsp. smoked paprika; 3 large egg yolks; ¾ cup pre-grated vegetarian Parmesan, plus more for serving

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Photo by Emma Fishman, Bowl by Melien Ceramics

Swapping traditional ingredients like guanciale and pancetta for vegetable-based umami bombs (hello, garlic and smoked paprika) isn’t the only thing to consider when making a vegetarian carbonara. Many hard cheeses (including Parmigiano-Reggiano) use animal rennet, so if you want to seek an alternative, ask your cheesemonger or check out this list.

Recipe notes

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