Delicious and Quick Orzo Carbonara

This Orzo Carbonara is both the perfect weekday dish! It is light, creamy and can be ready in only 17 minutes!

Carbonara is a dish I used to always order at restaurants. It hits all the right notes: salty, creamy, savoury and loaded with carbs! I always assumed that it was difficult to make this beautiful dish because it is so indulgent, however it’s simple and incredibly quick. For our family, carbonara has become the perfect weeknight meal. I always have the ingredients on hand, and it comes together in 17 minutes, which is ideal after a long day of work while everyone is hungrily waiting for dinner.

This Orzo Carbonara is an amazing dish. When prepared properly, carbonara is both creamy and light at the same time. Using orzo pasta instead of the traditional linguine or fettuccine creates a texture akin to risotto, with added richness. The sharp Parmesan and creamy egg cling to the orzo, creating a beautiful silky sauce when combined with the reserved pasta water, while the garlic and crispy pancetta adds texture to each bite. I promise you if you make this recipe, it will soon become a regular meal in your home.

TOTAL TIME

• Preparation Time – 2 minutes
• Cooking Time – 15 minutes
• Total Time – 17 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR ORZO CARBONARA

All the ingredients for this carbonara are easy to source from any local grocer.

• 2 1/2 cups Orzo Pasta
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 200 grams Prosciutto
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 large Egg yolk
• 1 cup Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Pasta water, reserved

IS ORZO THE SAME AS RICE?

Although orzo looks like rice, it is a type of pasta made from semolina flour. Orzo means barley in Italian: named such because it resembles the grain. This pasta’s small size makes it ideal for dishes cooked with creamy sauces like this.

IS CARBONARA SAUCE THE SAME AS ALFREDO SAUCE?

Although the two dishes may appear similar at first glance, they are definitely not. Alfredo sauce uses butter and cheese as it’s base. Many recipes also include cream. Unlike Alfredo sauce, all the creaminess in Carbonara comes from beautiful fresh eggs. As a result, Carbonara tastes lighter, and is arguably healthier for you.

WHY DOESN’T CARBONARA HAVE CREAM IN IT?

No authentic Carbonara sauce includes cream. All the silky creaminess in this sumptuous sauce comes from the fresh eggs, finely grated parmesan, and pasta water.

WHAT IS PANCETTA?

Pancetta is similar to bacon with one important difference: while bacon is smoked and purchased raw, pancetta is salt cured and dried, which means it is safe to eat without being cooked. Pancetta is a beautiful product that originates in Italy, but is very easy to find in most grocery stores. You can buy it in larger chunks or pre diced in most deli departments. I like to save myself some time and purchase it pre-diced.

IS IT SAFE TO USE RAW EGGS?

Yes. Although the eggs in this recipe are not cooked in a standard fashion, the heat from the freshly cooked pasta cooks them in the pan. This is why you want to ensure that the egg mixture is ready to add the minute the pasta comes off the heat. If you are very concerned, you can always purchase raw eggs that have been pasteurized.

SHOULD I RINSE THE ORZO AFTER COOKING?

Never ever rinse pasta after you cook it! After draining the pasta, you will see that it starts to stick together. An common reflex is to rinse the pasta to separate the pieces before mixing in your sauce. However, the starch that causes the pasta to stick together is the same substance that helps your sauce cling to your pasta. If you rinse the pasta it will not stick together, but the sauce will not cling to it either, resulting in a more soupy consistency.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

CAN I USE ANOTHER MEAT INSTEAD OF PROSCIUTTO?

If you wish, you could substitute pancetta for prosciutto but the taste will be different. Both pancetta and prosciutto are salt cured, however the latter is also air dried for months. Because prosciutto is air dried, it can be eaten uncooked and is sold sliced incredibly thin. Prosciutto is also leaner so it fries up incredibly crispy.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF OIL?

You can substitute any oil with a high smoke point in this recipe. I enjoy both the flavour, and authentic quality that olive oil adds to this dish.

I FORGOT TO RESERVE THE PASTA WATER! IS THERE A SUBSTITUTION?

The addition of pasta water is an important step in making a beautiful carbonara sauce. The pasta water adds additional salt and flavour to the dish, while the starch aids the sauce in clinging to the pasta. You can certainly substitute a bit of water if you forget to reserve pasta water, however the result will not be quite as silky and sumptuous.

EQUIPMENT FOR ORZO CARBONARA

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make Carbonara:

• Braising Pan – My most used pan by far is my Le Creuset Braising Pan. It is made of heavy cast iron and coated in ceramic as all Le Creuset cast iron pans are. It’s large and deep which makes it perfect for everything from frying to making sauces. I can’t recommend it enough.

• Pasta Pot

• Slotted Spoon

• Microplane or fine cheese grater

• Wooden Spoon

COOKING DIRECTIONS FOR ORZO CARBONARA

Orzo Carbonara is a quick and delicious meal. You can easily make it in fifteen minutes, making it the perfect quick meal. Although it’s quite easy to prepare, there are a few tips to remember.

1. Make sure your prosciutto is crisp, this will create a lovely textural contrast against the creamy orzo.
2. Make sure that your egg and Parmesan mixture is ready to pour as soon as the pasta and pancetta are finished, and mix it quickly off the heat to ensure it doesn’t scramble.
3. Always reserve some pasta water. This beautiful starchy water is what turns your carbonara into a silky luscious sauce.

MAKE AHEAD STORAGE

This Orzo Carbonara with Pancetta cannot be made in advance.

Although you can refrigerate the leftover orzo and reheat it, it will have a slightly different texture as the sauce will absorb into the pasta. I recommend eating this fresh if at all possible.

FINISHED DISH OF ORZO CARBONARA

Enjoy your Quick and Delicious Orzo Carbonara!

OTHER QUICK PASTA DISHES

Creamy Chicken Carbonara

Creamy Chicken Prosciutto Fettuccine

Flavourful Penne Boscaiola

Quick Orzo Pilaf

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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