Keto Fettuccine with Pancetta & Mushrooms. Less than 8g carbs per satisfying serving.
Don’t you wish you could have pasta now and then? I do, so when I really need a change from my usual meals, this amazing dish springs to mind. Every time.
This recipe has been tried and tested many, many times, and it never lets me down. Of course keto ‘pasta’ will never have the same flavour and bite texture that standard, gluten-tastic, wheat-based pasta delivers.
But my fettuccine mimics it as best as possible, without the added gluten that you will inevitably find in commercially-produced keto offerings.
How to Make Keto Fettuccine with Pancetta & Mushrooms
There are multiple steps to this recipe. Unless you’ve previously made my keto ‘pasta’ and froze it for later use.
To begin with, take out your spinach cubes and leave to defrost at room temperature.
Next, bake the pasta sheets according to the recipe directions.
Cool, roll loosely, and slice to create fettuccine. I make mine quite wide, but that’s down to individual choice.
Are your fettuccine a bit under-baked? No problem: spread them out on a rack to air-dry. Overbaked and a little dry? Still no problem: they will soften once you stir them into your sauce. Want to make them ahead? Great time-saving idea! Store them in a zip-locked bag in your refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them.
Then move onto the chunky sauce. Cook the pancetta cubes over medium heat while you clean and slice your mushrooms.
When the pancetta is ready, add the mushrooms, minced garlic, salt, and a splash of white wine. I don’t add anything else, as I find the dish flavoursome as it is, but you may wish to add black pepper or chilli flakes.
Mushrooms will release water as they soften. Sauté them until most of the water has evaporated, then add your squeezed and chopped spinach, cream, cheese and fettuccine. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary, and maybe add a little water if the sauce seems too dry or dense.
Raise the heat, give it all a good stir, and serve as soon as everything is nice and hot.
Enjoy!
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SAUCE
- 200 g pancetta cubes
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 pinches Himalayan pink salt or to taste
- 1 splash of white wine
- 160 g frozen spinach (approx 4 cubes, thawed, squeezed and chopped)
- 200 g double cream (U.S. = heavy cream)
- 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil * If needed – see Recipe Notes
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take spinach cubes out of the freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature.
160 g frozen spinach
- pre-heat oven to 160 °C static.
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using a Pyrex jug (easier to pour) or mixing bowl, whisk cream cheese to soften it, manually incorporate eggs one at a time, add remaining ingredients and whisk until you obtain a smooth batter (don’t use an electric whisk, as it will aerate the mixture and you definitely want to avoid that).
4 eggs, 80 g cream cheese, ½ tsp fine himalayan pink salt, 15 g lupin flour, ½ tsp xanthan gum
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lay silicone baking sheets over two oven racks, pour 1/2 batter onto the centre of each baking sheet; using a flexible silicone spatula spread it evenly to form rectangular shape approx 33 x 23cm (11” x 9”).
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bake for 13 minutes (see recipe Notes below), then take the racks out and turn oven off.
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lift the ‘pasta’ sheets, flip them back onto the silicone sheets, and return them to the oven (heat off and door open) for 5 minutes so that moisture evaporates in the residual heat.
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finally, let cool completely, roll loosely along the long side, and slice across to create 1cm wide fettuccine; if a little sticky, spread them out and leave them to air-dry.
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cook pancetta cubes in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, while you clean and slice the mushrooms.
200 g pancetta cubes
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when the pancetta fat is rendered (see recipe Notes below), pour in the sliced mushrooms along with the minced garlic and salt; add a splash of white wine.
300 g chestnut mushrooms, 2-3 cloves garlic, 2 pinches Himalayan pink salt, 1 splash of white wine
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sauté for about 10 minutes, turning often, until most of the released water has evaporated.
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now stir in the thawed, squeezed and chopped spinach cubes, together with the cream, cheese and 100g fettuccine.
200 g double cream, 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
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raise the heat, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, and add a little water if the sauce seems too dry or dense.
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once everything is nice and bubbly, serve immediately.
Test if the ‘pasta sheets’ are done after 13 minutes baking time: lift a corner and see if it lifts without sticking. If not ready, bake for another minute or two.
When you put the sheets back in the oven, don’t leave them there for more than 5 minutes, or they’ll crisp up and you’ll struggle to roll and slice them. However, if that happens, don’t worry – they’ll be fine as your fettuccine will soften once stirred into the sauce.
The default recipe makes 160g fettuccine. For 2 servings, you only need to use 100g; you can freeze the rest for another dish.
*Lean pancetta will release less rendered fat, in which case, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Always use Metric Food Scales for accuracy.
Serving: 1half recipe | Calories: 1055kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.8g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 94g
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