Summer means lots of one pot meals and outdoor dining. This Jerk Carbonera Recipe fits both criteria! It’s a flavorful Caribbean spin on a popular pasta dish and is perfect for feeding a crowd at your next outdoor gathering.
What is Carbonara?
Carbonara is a pasta dish that is said to have originated in Rome. Modern carbonara dishes feature spaghetti that’s been cooked in bacon/pancetta fat and tossed in a sauce made from egg yolks and grated cheese. It’s a simple, but really delicious dish when done right!
Ok, but Jerk Carbonara?!
A lot of people are a bit scared to try making carbonara at home because it involves raw eggs. So I knew I wanted to make a recipe to show how easy it is to make this recipe, but I of course had to add my own twist. Hence, jerk carbonara!
Regular carbonara doesn’t have many seasonings, so the addition of jerk sauce gives it a bit of heat and a additional flavor. And who doesn’t love jerk?!
I used bacon for this recipe, but you can use pancetta as well. Bacon has more of a smokey flavor, while pancetta is cured so it will have a salty taste.
How to Make Jerk Carbonara
Here’s a quick breakdown of how to make jerk carbonara:
- Cut 6 strips of thick cut bacon into 1 or 1 1/2 in cubes. Season with jerk seasoning, then cook bacon in it’s own fat in a cast iron pan. Remove bacon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Cook garlic cloves in bacon fat.
- Whisk together 2 eggs, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook 1 lb of pasta in boiling water. Strain pasta, but reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Add 1/3 cup pasta water back to the pan with the bacon fat and let it come to a boil. Add spaghetti, then turn off the heat. From this point on, we will be working with the stove off and letting the residual heat in the pan cook the sauce. Let the pot cool down for about 30-45 seconds, then working quickly, alternate between adding the whisked eggs and pasta water to the pot. I start by adding about a 1/3rd of the egg mixture, then a few tablespoons of pasta water, then mix and repeat. This will ensure that the eggs do not start cooking too quickly. Whisk together until the liquid emulsifies, forming a thick sauce. Once the egg mixture is completely incorporated, you can continue stirring in pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Serve immediately.
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Jerk Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 2 tsp jerk seasoning (I recommend using medium hot)
- 6 strips thick bacon, cut into 1 1/2 in cubes
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
- handful thyme
Instructions
- Fill a large pan with water and bring to a boil. Salt heavily, then cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, add jerk seasoning to bacon and stir until fully coated. Add bacon to a heavy bottom cast iron pan, then cook on medium until slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spatula to remove bacon from pan and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Add garlic to pan with bacon fat and saute for 2-3 minutes, until garlic is fragrant and translucent.
- Add eggs to a bowl along with grated cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until cheese dissolves into the mixture. Set aside.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to your cast iron pan with the garlic and bacon fat still in the pan, and turn the heat up to medium high, until the comes to a boil. Add pasta and use a spatula to toss the pasta, until it is completely coated in the pasta water.
- Turn off the heat. Wait about 30-45 seconds, until the water is no longer boiling. We will use the residual heat from the pan to cook the sauce. Now, working quickly, alternate between adding the whisked egg/cheese mixture and pasta water to the pan, tossing quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. I started with about a 1/3rd of the egg/cheese mixture, then added a few tablespoons of reserve pasta water, tossed the pasta in the mixture, then I repeated until the egg mixture was done. Continue stirring and allow the mixture to emulsify and form a sauce. If desired, add more pasta water until sauce reaches your desired consistency. I used about 2/3 cup of pasta water in total.TIP: Working with the heat off and adding pasta eater helps to prevent the eggs from cooking too quickly.
- Once the sauce reaches your desired consistency, add the cooked bacon and thyme. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Toss the pasta so the bacon and sauce are evenly distributed throughout. Serve immediately.
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