Beef Carbonara

This beef carbonara recipe is a twist on classic Italian Carbonara Pasta, which is made using pancetta. This is a pork-free version that makes for a quick and comforting weeknight dinner. Ready in 30 minutes or less! Suitable for beginning cooks.

Italian Carbonara pasta is probably one of the most popular pasta recipes out there, but it’s notoriously difficult to make for beginners to the kitchen and for anyone trying to make it without bacon. 

We’ll get into the reasons for this. But in the meantime, know that this recipe is a simple approach to making a beef carbonara using ground beef and some pantry staples. 

this recipe

What is beef carbonara

This Beef Carbonara is a simple take on a traditional carbonara that replaces pancetta with ground beef. It maintains the same rich and comforting feel of a traditional carbonara recipe while making some small substitutions.

Authentic carbonara recipes are made using guanciale or pancetta and eggs, and are made without cream. The fat from the guanciale/pancetta and the cooked eggs contribute to the rich creaminess associated with carbonara. As we’re making a ground beef carbonara, we’re adding a touch of cream to help emulate this instead. As such, expect a few deviations from traditional carbonara methodology here!

Ingredients

• Capellini pasta
• Olive oil
• Minced onion
• Garlic, finely chopped
• Lean ground beef
• Salt and black pepper
• Heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese, grated (or pecorino Romano)
• Fresh basil

How to make beef carbonara

Making carbonara with beef is actually quite a simple and forgiving affair (much more so than traditional carbonara!). Start by cooking the capellini according to the package directions. Once done, drain it, and return it to the pot to stay warm while you prepare the sauce. 

In a large skillet (nonstick), heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the chopped onion and garlic. Let them sauté until they're soft and fragrant, about five minutes. Next, add the ground beef, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook it until it’s nicely browned and cooked through (make sure to break it up with your spatula too – no gigantic beef chunks required here).

Slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring everything together, and then add the Parmesan cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts into the sauce, making it creamy and smooth.

Toss in the cooked capellini, stirring until everything is well combined and the pasta is coated in that creamy “carbonara” sauce. Serve it up with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan and some fresh basil for a little pop of color and flavor. Enjoy every creamy, comforting bite!

Tips

With the removal of eggs, and the addition of cream, this becomes a very easy carbonara recipe. Here are some tips to make sure you get the most of out it. 

What kind of pasta to use

To keep with the traditional ‘look’ of carbonara, capellini or bucatini pasta is ideal. Both have the right shape and an ideal thickness to them. However, you can very easily substitute these with angel hair pasta, spaghetti, or even linguine.

Grated cheese

Cheese is one of my favorite ingredients, and usually I love bigger pieces of it. However, to prevent it from clumping up, be sure to grate your parmesan finely for this recipe.

Reserve pasta water

An age-old trick to Italian pasta is reserving a cup or so of the pasta water once the pasta is done cooking. You can use this to loosen the pasta once prepared if you feel that the sauce is too thick, or in case you’ve added too much cheese and want a little moisture. (Generally speaking, if you stick to the recipe there should be no issues, but I know some like to go a little more rogue.)

Don’t rinse your pasta

There are a few situations where rinsing your pasta is helpful. This is not one of them. Rinsing the cooked pasta leads to less starch remaining on its surface, which means that it will be more difficult for your sauce to coat it. 

This is the case in a traditional carbonara recipe, and it is the same process for this beef carbonara.

Variation ideas

Steak carbonara. The next logical step. Switch out the ground beef for sliced steak. This is a much heartier approach, and I think another step away from the appearance and texture of authentic carbonara.

Play with the pasta. Thin spaghetti-esque pasta is the traditional shape used, however rigatoni, parpadelle, and farfalle are all fun options that work very well. (I know a chef that vehemently argues that these are actually better options than thinner pastas because of the added surface area, which makes it easier for the sauce to coat the pasta.)

Add more elements. Traditionally, carbonaras come together with just a handful of ingredients. But we don’t have to play by the rules if we don’t want to. For example, I’ve added chopped onions and garlic to this recipe. Feel free to go even further and add some mushrooms.

Serving suggestions

This makes for an easy weeknight dinner. It comes together quickly and is very forgiving to make. While this is a comforting dinner, you can definitely serve it alongside a light salad or even something like potato mochi if you’re looking to add a little more heartiness to it. We like to keep it very simple at home, and often make it alongside some roasted Brussels sprouts.