
This is a vegetarian twist on the classic Carbanara sauce. It contains only 5 ingredients, is very quick to make and is one of the most delicious pastas I’ve eaten in a while.
This is a perfect supper for two whip up in 20 minutes and is packed with flavour. I like to use whole-wheat pasta as I enjoy the slightly nutty flavour, and its lower in GI than regular pasta.
Printlemony spinach carbanara

- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 2 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- 150g whole-wheat linguini (or any long pasta of your choice)
- 1 large free range egg
- 60ml / 1/4 cup creme fraiche
- 60ml / 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese (and a bit extra for sprinkling)
- 2 – 3 cups of baby leaf spinach
- zest of one small lemon – finely grated
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salty water to the boil and cook your pasta until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking – get all your other ingredients ready and waiting: Grate the Parmesan cheese and measure out the creme fraiche. Beat the egg.
- Drain the pasta over a bowl, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
- Immediately put the pasta back into the pot it was cooking in, back on the stove and add a splash (about 1/4 cup) of the cooking liquid.
- Add the spinach and stir it through the pasta, and put the lid on the pot and flash steam the leaves for a minute or two. Stir once or twice more to ensure the spinach is mixed into the pasta and is cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Add the creme fraiche and lemon zest to the beaten egg and mix. Stir this through the very hot pasta and spinach to coat all the strands. The carry-over heat from the pasta will cook the egg. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to fully to combine and then put the lid back on the pot for a minute or so to allow it all to integrate.
- Check if it needs salt and pepper. It should be quite salty from the cheese and the pasta water.

26 Comments
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Perfect recipe for pasta. I love pasta with lemon and spinach
Thanks so much. Just so simple and ridiculously tasty 🙂
Looks delicious. Whole-wheat pasta is delicious I think, more people should eat it! I love your blog, it is so beautiful, Sam. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us 🙂
Thanks Tora (and what a cute avatar pic of an otter) – I love WW pasta at pretty much its all I eat at home now.
Sam, do you think I could add some courgettes somehow into this recipe?
Hi Brooke, yes I think zucchini will work well, just steam the slices before you toss them in at the end after the egg and cheese has been added.
S x
Yum, just made this for dinner for me & my bf and it was great. I squeezed two lemons over it and added lots of pepper and some chili flakes because I like my food sour and spicy!
HI Georgia, glad you enjoyed. I actually think its one of my favourite new pasta dishes and cant wait to make it again.
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Awesome recipe. I absolutely loved it.
Here’s a recipe for Fettuccine Carbonara you may like to try.
https://www.wascene.com/food-drink/fettuccine-carbonara-recipe/
Thanks for sharing.
Jess
Thanks Jess, carbonara is all kinds of awesome 🙂
Thanks for this Sam. I’ve been meaning to pop by. I made this last week with baby spinach FROM MY GARDEN! It was incredible!
Also, how’s your book coming along? When do you think I can go in search of it at Exclusive Books and be able to find it?
Hi Salome and so glad you liked the recipe. I too loved it and think its one of my best this year :-). My book will be hitting the shelves in the latter part of July. But I’ll be doing regular updates on it on my blog.
Sam
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Sam, do you make the creme fraiche, or do you purchase it pre-made?
Hi Marianne, I buy creme fraiche ready made.
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Hi Sam, I am so grateful to have recently discovered your blog on Fancy of all places. I love it! Your recipes are simple, delicious and exactly how I enjoy cooking. Since I don’t eat egg, do you have a substitution suggestion for the egg in this recipe? Thanks. Nina (Los Angeles, California).
Hi Nina, the egg gives it a distinct silky texture synonymous with carbonara, but I would just substitute with extra cream or creme fraiche which would also be lovely. let me know.
S x
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can we substitue creme fraiche with sour cream?
Hi Kylie, yes you can.
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