This vegetarian carbonara recipe uses fried halloumi instead of fried pancetta, giving it a similarly delicious umami taste. It comes together super quickly. After frying up your chunks of halloumi, boil your pasta and then combine with your creamy carbonara sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste, top it with parmesan cheese and dinner is served!

Chef Rasmus Zepernick calls this vegetarian carbonara “anything but traditional,” but it is delicious in its own right. This recipe comes from his cookbook, Halloumi, which features recipes spotlighting this delicious ingredient. If you’re looking to try more of Zepernick’s halloumi recipes, check out his take on a Potato Salad and this satisfying Halloumi Veggie Burger.

Vegetarian spaghetti carbonara on a white plate on a blue background.

Vegetarian Carbonara With Crispy Halloumi

Rasmus Zepernick

A vegetarian spaghetti carbonara featuring crispy halloumi instead of pancetta, tossed in a silky egg‑and‑cheese sauce with spaghetti for a rich, vegetarian comfort meal.

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Ingredients

1 block of halloumi 200 g
3 egg yolks
1 cup grated parmesan
300 g spaghetti noodles
⅓ cup heavy cream
1-2 cloves garlic pressed
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Begin by cutting your halloumi into small chunks. Fry them in a pan until golden brown and crispy.
In a bowl, add the egg yolks and three-quarters of the parmesan and whisk together well.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
Remove the fried halloumi from the pan. Use the same pan to heat the cream along with the pressed garlic.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan along with cream, halloumi, and the egg and cheese mixture.
Stir it all together and ﬁnish by seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Top with the remaining parmesan, serve and enjoy!