Inspired by a viral Instagram recipe, I tried replacing pasta in the classic Italian dish – and the results were surprisingly delicious
Nicola Roy Multimedia content creator
05:35, 11 Apr 2026
One simple swap made a carbonara ever so filling and delicious
There’s genuinely nothing I love more than getting creative in the kitchen. Testing out a new recipe is always the best part of my week, and it’s often the most surprising ones that turn out the best.
Like most people, I imagine, carbonara features regularly in my weekly cooking schedule. The velvety, rich sauce is tough to beat, and it’s amazing to think it requires so few ingredients . However, this week I decided to daringly ask the question – what if you swapped out the pasta in carbonara for an unconventional yet more nutritionally-packed substitute?
My inspiration came after coming across a recipe on Instagram by cooking enthusiast Finley Richards. Rather than spaghetti, he’d opted for butterbeans – and instantly I was captivated.
As a former vegan, I still love pulses, especially butterbeans. Their consistency works brilliantly in numerous sauce-based meals, and they’re an excellent source of fibre, meaning we should be consuming more of them.
The simple meal only requires a few ingredients(Image: Nicola Roy)
In his clip, which has racked up over 250k views, he said: “My favourite Italian chef Massimo Bottura said, ‘no cream in carbonara.’ And luckily for him there’s no cream in this recipe. But there’s also no pasta.
“This is my car-bean-ara, a dish that has all the principles of the classic carbonara, except replaces pasta for butterbeans.”
It’s miles away from traditional, but it was absolutely delicious and kept me satisfied for ages. The exact recipe details weren’t provided, so here’s my take on it.
Butterbeans are the hero in this recipe(Image: Nicola Roy)
Ingredients
One tin or jar of butterbeans250g bacon lardons or guanciale, if you can get itTwo eggs and two yolksTbsp black peppercorns50g-80g pecorino or parmesan
Method
Begin by frying the bacon pieces in a small amount of oil until golden and crispy, then put to one side for later. Keep the oil in a bowl – this will be essential for creating the smooth sauce.
Next, drain the beans while keeping the liquid from the jar or tin. Add a splash of water to the container and give it a shake, combining it with the reserved liquid. This mimics the starchy pasta water traditionally used in carbonara to bring everything together.
Break the eggs and yolks into a large bowl and add grated parmesan. Whisk thoroughly until well combined, then add extra parmesan if the mixture looks too runny. Pour in the bacon oil and mix once more.
At the same time, place the peppercorns in a dry, clean pan and toast for a few minutes before crushing them into a fine powder. Transfer the butterbeans to a pan with several tablespoons of the reserved liquid mixture and heat gently.
The carbeanara was a surprising hit(Image: Nicola Roy)
Gradually add the egg and cheese mixture, stirring continuously to ensure everything is well coated. Avoid overcooking as this risks scrambling the eggs, so remove from the heat if it becomes too hot.
When the sauce gets to a lovely, silky consistency, stir in the black pepper and some of the bacon. Portion into bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon, serving alongside crusty bread for mopping up every last bit.
Dining and Cooking