Carbonara (Egg-Free)
カルボナーラ（卵なし）
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is the carbonara we make in the preschool kitchen, without any egg. Instead of raw egg yolks, the creamy sauce comes from butter, flour and milk, with a little consommé for savory depth - a gentler, milder version that suits small children and anyone avoiding eggs. The onion is steamed slowly until it turns sweet and tender, so the sauce tastes rich without much salt. Snapping the spaghetti into short pieces before cooking makes it easy for little ones to manage with a fork or spoon.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 67.5 gspaghetti
- 22.5 gbacon
- 37.5 gonion
Seasonings
- 1.5 gvegetable oil
- 3 gunsalted butter
- 3 gflour
- 112.5 gmilk
- 1.5 gconsommé bouillon (granules or cube)Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
- 0.3 gsalt
- to tastepepper
- 3 ggrated Parmesan cheese
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- consommé bouillon (granules or cube) (コンソメ)
- Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
Directions
- 1
Cut the onion into thin slices, then halve them lengthwise. Cut the bacon into 1 cm strips.
- 2
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, add the onion and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes. Add enough water to just cover the onion (not included in the ingredient amounts - a little extra makes it easier), cover with a lid, and steam-simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes until the onion is soft.
- 3
Break the spaghetti into thirds and boil for the time indicated on the package.
- 4
If any liquid remains in the pan, cook it off completely, then add the bacon and stir-fry. Turn off the heat, add the flour and stir until no dry flour remains, then add the milk and consommé and bring to a simmer.
- 5
Add the spaghetti, salt and pepper, and stir over low heat until everything is coated and the sauce comes together. The sauce thickens as it cools, so finish while it is still a little loose.
- 6
Serve and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 432 kcal | 864 kcal | 432 kcal |
| Protein | 18.2 g | 36.3 g | 18.2 g |
| Fat | 14.9 g | 29.7 g | 14.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 61.5 g | 123 g | 61.5 g |
| Fiber | 4.4 g | 8.7 g | 4.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Calcium | 183 mg | 366 mg | 183 mg |
| Iron | 1.2 mg | 2.4 mg | 1.2 mg |
| Potassium | 423 mg | 846 mg | 423 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 432 kcal | 18.2 g | 14.9 g | 61.5 g | 4.4 g | 1.8 g | 183 mg | 1.2 mg | 423 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 864 kcal | 36.3 g | 29.7 g | 123 g | 8.7 g | 3.6 g | 366 mg | 2.4 mg | 846 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
