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This keto pasta is a low carb alternative to traditional pasta noodles! Made with just 2 ingredients, they are chewy, cheesy, and perfect to top with your favorite sauces! 1 gram net carbs per serving.
Keto Pasta
Whenever I’m craving keto comfort food, my favorite recipes to make are pizza, mac and cheese, and this 2 ingredient keto pasta.
Growing up, my mom would make pasta at least once a week. It was her favorite quick and easy meal to throw together, and one both my sister and I enjoyed. There’s something especially comforting about a big bowl of pasta with either a tomato based or cream based sauce. When I first moved out of home, pasta was the first dish I ever learned to cook and as I moved my way through university and into the workforce, it remained part of my weekly meal prep.
Since starting a keto diet, I’ve tried out nearly EVERY low carb pasta alternative at the grocery stores. Unfortunately, they are NOTHING like what you’d expect pasta to be. Most use something called ‘konjac’ and the texture is not even comparable to pasta. Others use vegetables like zucchini and sweet potato, and while delicious, they are no good substitute at all. Luckily, you can easily make a homemade version using just cheese and eggs!
I’ve been meaning to share a keto pasta recipe for quite some time. It’s been my go-to whenever I crave pasta. As it is a little time consuming to make, I don’t make it very often, but it ALWAYS hits the spots.
Now, I want to make some things clear. This is NOT your Italian style pasta made with flour and wheat. If you are familiar with a keto diet, there are no grains allowed. However, this zero carb pasta is a fabulous alternative for when you are craving a massive bowl of spaghetti or noodles…minus the carbs.
No grains and no flour are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is soft, slightly chewy, and light. The flavor is mellow and rich, and is the perfect vehicle for your favorite low carb pasta sauces.
I had some friends over for an Italian dinner and I served two of them this recipe and they were THRILLED to have a keto alternative to their favorite Italian comfort food.
How do you make low carb pasta?
The Ingredients
- Egg yolk– The yolk gives the pasta stability, and easier to cut into noodles.
- Mozzarella cheese– Finely shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese. Avoid using other kinds of cheese, or your noodles will be like wet cheese.
The Instructions
Start by melting your mozzarella cheese. Once melted, let the cheese cool for 1-2 minutes. Next, whisk your egg yolks into the cheese mixture until combined. Form a rough ball of ‘dough’ and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the ball of ‘dough’ on top of it, and place another piece of parchment paper on top of that. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until thin.
Now, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, to firm up. Once chilled, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into thin strips. Place the pasta back in the refrigerator overnight, to firm up.
The next day, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles into it, and string slowly and carefully, mix together for 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and run under cool water, before transferring onto a plate and adding your favorite pasta sauce.
Tips to make the best keto noodles
- Use more boiling water than you’d use for traditional pasta or spaghetti. This ensures these ones don’t stick together and clump up.
- Drop the noodles into the water and mix slowly and carefully for 30 seconds. After that, cook your noodles to your desired texture. I prefer slightly al dente pasta, so only cooked mine for around 30 seconds.
- You must rinse your pasta after cooking with cold water. This does not cool down the pasta, but rather helps them avoid sticking together.
- Ensure whichever pasta sauce you are using is already warm once the pasta is cooked. The more time the cooked pasta has to sit, the wetter it will become.
Storing and freezing keto pasta noodles
- To store: Pasta can keep in their uncooked state for up to 1 week. Lightly cover it in plastic wrap to ensure it doesn’t dry out.
- To freeze: Place chilled noodles in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. Be sure to thaw it completely, before reslicing if needed.
More vegetarian keto recipes to try
Keto Pasta (2 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt your mozzarella cheese until melted. Let it cool for 2 minutes. Whisk in your egg yolks and form the mixture into a ball of dough.
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and transfer the ball of dough onto it. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until thin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a pizza slicer, cut thin strips of dough. Refrigerate overnight.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and gently stir for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and drain the water. Run under water before transferring to bowls and top with your favorite low carb pasta toppings.
Used these to go with chicken alfredo. Plain, they do taste cheesy to me. In a meal, they are an amazing sub for noodles. I boiled a bowl of water in the microwave and just threw a serving size of noodles in for 30 seconds, drained and rinse with cold water. They were so good. And super easy to make.
Thanks, Bobbie!
I have never left a review before but this recipe has knocked it OUT OF THE PARK!!!!!
So perfect and satisfying!!!! Game changer!!
could you please tell me what brand of cheese you use in Aus,
thank you
Hi, Thanks for the recipe, I would like to try this……I am in Aus, which brand do you use when in Aus? Thanks, Peter.
La probaré y te cuento!
We don’t have a microwave; can you recommend another way to melt the cheese?
You could try stovetop
Such a good idea and so easy to make just delicious 😋
It worked out better in my kitchen to dry the dough rolled out in parchment in the refrigerator for a few days before cutting with kitchen shears into fettuccine like the author’s photo. (Day of, dough was soft, stuck to parchment and broke too easily). The drier it is, the less it tastes like mozzarella and the better it boils without dissolving.
Thanks for the tip!
Would this work with egg whites or an egg substitute like flax seed? Trying to watch the cholesterol.
I haven’t tried but you can experiment with one of these https://thebigmansworld.com/egg-substitute-for-baking/
can you use pepper jack cheese? like a little spice.
I haven’t tried- Feel free to experiment and see.
This was amazing!!!! Came out perfectly 🙂
Low moisture part skim or whole milk mozzarella?
Low moisture 🙂
Idk what we did wrong. We followed all the steps perfectly, except letting it sit overnight because we needed pasta right away, and all of it melted. We let it sit in the fridge for like an hour, but as soon as it hit the water it melted.
You need it to sit overnight. Here is a video with the process. https://youtu.be/n_EqalWFQ64
lol ashli, “I skipped a vital step, why did my recipe come out bad?”, why do you think lmfao
Awesome recipe!!! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious ….but you can make these noodle 5 stars if you add a 1/2 tsp of Xanthum gum powder to the mix right after you put the cheese into the bowl
I’ve made several of your recipes and they’ve been terrific. However I keep running into trouble with this one. I have two persistent problems:
1) I have a hard time whisking/mixing the egg and melted cheese together to make a “dough”. what should the finished consistency be, before refrigerating? lumpy or smooth? Should this mixture be heated to help mixing?
2) I can not get the noodles off the parchment paper to cook them without them breaking up. I have tried oiling the parchment paper before so they don’t stick but this only helps a bit.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Do I absolutely need to leave it overnight? Wanted to try it tonight, would 5 or so hours be ok?
5 hours should be fine 🙂
Mine disintegrated into a doughy mozzarella ball as soon as I added them to the boiling water…. obviously this is a very precise recipe and technique yo get it right.
Here is a video, Ali- https://youtu.be/n_EqalWFQ64
You should find a way to mass produce these and market them! Jackpot!
Does this taste like plain cheese?
Promise it doesn’t! 🙂
Was wondering how many eggs and how much cheese To mix together or did I miss that part.
Check out the recipe card!
Have you tried them for lasagna yet? Should I cook them first or just put it straight from the fridge into the lasagna as it gets cooked in the oven…
I have a keto lasagna recipe on my site you might like instead https://thebigmansworld.com/keto-lasagna/
What of using squeaky cheese like halumi rather than low moisture mozzarella?
Haven’t tried!
I had the same issue with the noodles dissolving as soon as I put them in the boiling water. I had made some of your other recipes with great success. Actually made English muffins for breakfast! Please let us know if you have any ideas of what I did wrong. I miss pasta! Thanks
Hi Sue! Did you let them dry long enough?
Do I need to refrigerate overnight, or can I use it after maybe an hour in the refrigerator?
Overnight is much preferred.v
Why do I have to refrigerate overnight. Can I use after they cool in refrigerator for 30 min?
No, they need to firm up.
Yes I did. Slowly and gently.
I was so excited to try this recipe. All was well until I boiled them. Within 10 seconds it was all disintegrated. What did I do wrong?
Did you start mixing as soon as you added them in?
Would it be possible to use this dough with my pasta maker?
I haven’t tried!
Questions:
Do you cover the initial “dough” in the fridge? With what? Ziploc baggie? Saran wrap?
Also, to store in freezer, lay flat on parchment paper in Ziploc bags to store? So not to stick together?
Lastly, how (much) many servings does this yield?
It doesn’t need to be covered, as it will soften when added to the water. Yes, lay flat in the freezer.
4 servings.
You prefer it cooked 30 seconds. Is that 30 sec after the first 30 sec or just the original 30 sec
The original 30 seconds 🙂
Hmm…do you think a pasta roller/cutter would work for this recipe?
I haven’t tried 🙂
What mozzarella do you use for this? I’m worried that most store-bought low moisture stuff would have too much cellulose powder to work.
I’ve tried both successfully.
This is awesome! Thanks for posting! What’s your opinion on replacing the egg for olive oil or flax? Think it would work?
I haven’t tried!
I would recommend spraying the parchment paper. my noodles were stuck to the point that they were ruined and i had to make it again. they did not disintegrate when boiled but broke into tiny pieces despite cooling/drying for over a day. overall was a great noodle substitute and would make again