Experimenting with favorite ingredients sometimes lead to new discoveries. Like this Spanified Carbonara from Joan Nova.
Text And Photos By Joan Nova
I may have discovered my new favorite ‘comfort food’. It melds some of the flavors I’ve known since my youth; ingredients I’ve used over and over…but never together. I love garbanzos cooked with chorizo and have made it countless times. Chorizo + eggs, yum! That’s a breakfast (or lunch) saved for special occasions. And…I’m a certified pasta-holic!
So this is a simple, carbonara-esque, meld of Spanish flavors with Italian pasta and cheeses that I threw together when I had a need for a little ‘comfort’. 
A Spanish Carbonara
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
Description
A comforting fusion of Spanish and Italian flavors, this Spanified Carbonara combines chorizo, garbanzos, and a creamy egg sauce with your favorite pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 small chorizo, diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 1 can garbanzos (chickpeas), with liquid
- Salt, to taste
- Chile flakes, to taste
- Oregano, to taste
- Fennel seed, to taste
- Star anise, to taste
- Pimentón (paprika), to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, for sautéing
- 2 eggs
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Cooked pasta of choice, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the diced chorizo and cook until it starts to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomato and cook until the tomato softens, about 2 minutes.
- Add the can of garbanzos with its liquid, along with salt, chile flakes, oregano, fennel seed, star anise, and pimentón. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until half of the liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta of choice according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and set aside.
- Once the garbanzo mixture is ready, remove the skillet from heat and quickly stir in the beaten eggs, mixing continuously to create a creamy sauce without scrambling the eggs.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce until well coated.
- Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, increase the amount of chile flakes.
- Use any pasta you prefer, such as spaghetti or penne.
- This dish is best served immediately to enjoy the creamy texture.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but the sauce may thicken upon reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 20
- Cholesterol: 150
Molto bene!
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Nduja Spaghetti Carbonara – An Italian Icon, Spicy Edition
- Tingly Rigatoni Carbonara
- The Four Meats Ragù Bolognese
- Jamie Oliver’s Penne Arrabiata
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the eggs from scrambling when I add them to the hot sauce?
Remove the skillet from heat before stirring in the beaten eggs, and mix continuously so the residual heat cooks the eggs into a creamy sauce rather than scrambled curds. The recipe also specifies simmering the garbanzo mixture until only half the liquid remains before adding the eggs, so the sauce isn’t too soupy.
Why does the sauce thicken when reheating leftovers?
The notes warn that the egg-based sauce may thicken upon reheating. The recipe is best served immediately, and leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
What makes this a “Spanish” carbonara rather than Italian?
Instead of the traditional Italian guanciale or pancetta, the recipe uses chorizo and garbanzos (chickpeas with their liquid) as the base, seasoned with pimentón, fennel seed, and star anise — a meld of Spanish flavors the author describes as combining ingredients he has “used over and over…but never together.”
What temp. do you have the oven heated at?
Sorry…350 degrees which is standard mode for many dishes.
I like this inspired blend!
This has your usual delcious twists Joan.
Joan what a great dish! I love all of the ingredients. You are making me hungry, yummy.
Wow, spanified indeed! ;)