What I Had for Dinner Last Night

Irish seaweed twist on a classic Italian dish: recipe inside!

Dulse Carbonara

My mom is 100% Italian, the daughter of Italian immigrants from a small town in the region of Calabria in southern Italy. I grew up eating spaghetti carbonara, among many other Italian meals. Like most Italian dishes, carbonara is both simple—using only a handful of ingredients—and delicious. Our family recipe combined raw eggs with heavy cream and pecorino romano (traditional Italian sheep’s milk) grated cheese. The hot spaghetti was then mixed into this cream sauce, lightly cooking the egg with its heat, and combined with small pieces of cooked bacon. 😋

While pasta alla carobonara or spaghetti alla carbonara as we know it seems to have originated in Rome relatively recently (in the 1940s), a similar dish combining pasta with cheese and eggs, pasta cacio e uova, a tradition in the region of Lazio, originated in the 19th century.¹ The dish that emerged in the ‘40s usually contained eggs mixed with pecorino romano and giancaule (cured pork jowls), pancetta, or bacon (thanks to the influence of American soldiers stationed in Italy during WWII).²

I am gluten free and dairy free and have often made my own version of this dish over the years with eggs, bacon, and gluten free pasta, as well as with some flavorful additions, such as sautéed garlic and parsley. The traditional dish is decidedly salty from the cured pork and cheese that it contains. The addition of salty seaweeds such as dulse (Palmaria palmata) significantly elevates this dish, contributing both an abundant variety of vitamins and minerals³ and a unique briny/umami flavor well-suited to this recipe. And it is a delightful way to honor both my Irish and Italian heritage in one meal!

Dulse Carbonara (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

Note: this dish is best eaten freshly cooked, so adjust quantities according to how many folks you are feeding. The recipe below makes enough for about 3 adults.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. gluten free pasta

  • I love Jovial brand rice pastas. I prefer the thicker fettuccine to spaghetti and usually use it in this recipe, but last night I tried Jovial mafalda, which also has a great shape and texture.

• 1 large egg

  • local, free range, organic—best quality you can get

• 1/2# bacon

  • preferably uncured and local, free range, organic—best quality you can get

  • The toasted dulse pieces (see below) can also be used as a bacon substitute for a vegetarian version of this dish.

• 1 head garlic, skins removed and finely chopped

  • I like a lot of garlic!

• Dulse flakes (2-3 tbsp) or dulse pieces (about 1/2 oz. by weight), toasted

  • The dulse quantities I’ve noted here are approximate. You can add more or less to taste (desired saltiness).

  • Smoked Applewood Dulse would add a nice smoky flavor.

• Black pepper

  • and/or red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper

• Optional

  • freshly chopped parsley or cooked greens, such as spinach (pictured)

  • Pecorino romano or parmesan grated cheese and/or heavy cream can be added to the egg sauce. Be mindful of how much cheese you add if you also plan on adding the dulse, as both will increase the saltiness.

Instructions:

1. Cook bacon to your desired crispiness. After bacon cools, chop into 1/2–1 inch pieces and set aside.

2. Drain some of the bacon fat if a lot has been rendered. Leave a good amount, approx. 2-3 tablespoons, in the pan and sauté the garlic (and spinach, if desired) until golden. Cool.

3. In a bowl large enough to mix in the pasta, whisk egg well with pepper of choice (to taste). Mix in the cooled garlic and bacon fat. Set aside. (Mix in optional cream and/or cheese at this time.)

4. If using dulse pieces, toast on dry skillet until well crisped and set aside.

5. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water with a dash of salt in it to boil. Cook pasta according to the directions (I prefer al dente).

6. Drain pasta well once it’s cooked. While the pasta is still hot, mix it in with egg and pepper mixture, stirring thoroughly.

7. Mix in bacon pieces and chopped parsley (and/or spinach if not already mixed in with the garlic).

8. Mix in 2-3 tbsp dulse flakes or crumble toasted dulse on top, lightly covering the surface of the pasta mixture (toasted dulse will lose its crispiness if mixed in).

9. Add salt to taste, if needed.

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Interested in trying Dulse or other seaweeds?

Check out our seaweed sampler packs: 6 different seaweeds for $30

Sampler #1

Sampler #2

Sampler #3 (mix of Atlantic and Pacific seaweeds)

1. The origins of this recipe and its traditional ingredients is the subject of much debate.

2. In fact, some speculate that the recipe was created by Americans living in Italy after the war as “spaghetti breakfast.”

3. Dulse is known for its B vitamins, carotenoids, high potassium, and good iodine, iron, magnesium, calcium, and selenium content.