Low Carb Cabbage Carbonara: Creamy Bacon Comfort Without the Pasta
In short
Spaghetti carbonara without the spaghetti. Fry 5–6 rashers of bacon in a slug of olive oil until they take on colour, add about half a chopped cabbage and cook until it softens, then stir through ½ cup of heavy cream and finish with parmesan and a bit of black pepper. The cabbage strips stand in for the pasta, and it’s ready as a side for steak or a Sunday roast.
Key points
- Cabbage replaces the pasta. We don’t do spaghetti here. Softened cabbage strips do the job, and if you’ve got a vivid imagination they look like the noodles in a proper carbonara.
- Very few ingredients. About half a cabbage (size dependent), 5–6 rashers of bacon, ½ cup of thick or heavy cream, and parmesan to finish.
- Bacon first. Chop it into roughly 5mm cubes, fry in a little olive oil, and get some colour on it before the cabbage goes in.
- Trim the thick core bits. They take a lot longer to cook and stand out later. Pull them out, cook them longer, or save them for the chickens.
- Butter is optional but welcome. You don’t need it, but a knob of butter with the cabbage doesn’t hurt. Everything’s better with butter, especially bacon.
- No extra salt. There’s plenty in the bacon. Black pepper is enough seasoning.
- Cream and parmesan make it carbonara. Stir in half a cup of heavy cream to warm through, then melt grated or chunked parmesan over the top.
- Side dish territory. I serve it with steak or as part of a Sunday roast. Creamy cabbage and bacon on its own is already a cracking dish.
Craving carbonara but cutting carbs? In this video I make a rich, creamy cabbage carbonara — same comfort-food idea as the classic Italian dish, with softened cabbage instead of pasta. Bacon, cream and parmesan do the heavy lifting, and it’s a quick side that’ll sit happily next to a steak or a Sunday roast.
Method in brief
You’ll need: about half a cabbage (depending on size), 5–6 rashers of bacon, ½ cup of thick or heavy cream, parmesan (grated or in pieces), a slug of olive oil, optional butter, and black pepper.
- Put a frying pan on with a little olive oil. Chop the bacon into roughly 5mm cubes and fry until it starts to colour.
- Chop the cabbage, discarding any really thick core pieces if you don’t want to wait for them to soften, and add it to the pan.
- Optional: stir in a knob of butter. Cook until the cabbage is soft and the bacon is caramelised, bringing the bacon up through the cabbage as it steams down.
- Pour in ½ cup of heavy cream and let it warm through. Season with black pepper only — the bacon already brings the salt.
- Finish with grated or chunked parmesan melted over the top, then plate up.
Why it works
You’re keeping the bits that make carbonara taste like carbonara — crispy bacon, cream and parmesan — and swapping the pasta for a veg that softens into noodle-like strips. No flour, no spaghetti, and it’s still lush.
For another pasta-free comfort dinner, try my low carb eggplant lasagna and Philly cheese steak casserole. More bacon in low carb bacon and egg sandwich. If you’re wondering why pasta is off the menu, read why I avoid bread, rice and pasta, and for the high-fat side of things, see what is LCHF and LCHF vs keto.
New to all this? Grab the free Carb Guide, or watch my story and how I lost 23kg in four months.
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Not medical advice. I'm not a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist, just a bloke telling the story of what worked for me. Check with your doctor before changing your diet or medication.
