Healthy Carbonara

Name: Healthy Carbonara
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: 140 g dry whole wheat spaghetti; 4 rashers of bacon (cooked and chopped); 4 eggs; 40 g reduced fat cheddar cheese; 100 ml reduced fat creme fraiche

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Carbonara is classic Italian comfort food and this is our healthier twist on it. It still has the essential eggs and bacon (which we grilled instead of fried), however we used reduced fat creme fraiche instead of cream or butter and used reduced fat cheese to save some calories. It still has all the flavour, but this healthy carbonara is a little bit lighter and ready in under 20 minutes.

Pasta carbonara on a pink plate. A bowl of salad and some bread are next to it.

Carbonara is such a simple, but delicious comforting dish made up of spaghetti, bacon, eggs and cheese and this is our healthier twist on it. Ready in under 20 minutes, it is easy to adapt and a quick and easy comforting dish that the whole family will love. You can even add some greens to it.

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Why should you try it?
Step by step
What else can be added?
What to serve a carbonara with
FAQs
Extra tips
More pasta recipes
Recipe

Why should you try it?

A lighter alternative to a traditional carbonara
Ready in under 20 minutes
Easy to add some greens

Step by step

One: Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.

A saucepan with spaghetti cooking in it.

Two: Cook the bacon under the grill (broiler).

A black baking tray with four rashers of bacon.

Three: Put the eggs in a bowl and whisk and then add the creme fraiche and cheese.

A mixing bowl containing eggs, cream, grated cheese and seasoning.

Four: Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain it and then put it back into the pan. If you have an electric hob, turn off the heat and put the pan back on it, or if you have a gas cooker, turn it to the lowest setting and put the pan back on it. Add the egg, yogurt and cheese mixture to the spaghetti, along with the bacon and stir briskly, so the eggs do not scramble. Stir and heat for around 2 minutes.

A frying pan containing spaghetti in a creamy sauce.

Five: Serve with chopped basil and a little grated parmesan.

Spaghetti Carbonara on a plate with basil on top.

Is carbonara healthy?

The traditional recipes for carbonara are incredibly indulgent, and high in fat. Whilst that is delicious and nothing wrong with it, if you are looking for something a bit lighter and lower in calories then we have you covered.

The bacon has been grilled instead of fried, and you could even use turkey bacon to make it even leaner. We also used whole wheat spaghetti, as it is higher in fibre.

We haven't used any cream or butter that some recipes call for and have instead used a little reduced fat creme fraiche and some reduced fat cheddar for the creaminess, along with the eggs. You could still use traditional Parmesan if you wanted.

The average portion of spaghetti carbonara has around 650 calories, and are version has just 540 calories. More room for some delicious side dishes I say.

Basil leaves on top of a dish of pasta carbonara.

What else can be added?

We love a recipe that can be adapted - it means we never have to make it the same way. One thing we love to add to this dish, when we want to make it even healthier, is some peas. They add a nice green boost to the dish, and you just have to cook them with the pasta, so no extra effort.

You could even wilt some spinach in to it for some extra greens. We love cooking some chunks of mushroom to stir through too.

What to serve a carbonara with

I think that garlic bread is a must when it comes to any kind of pasta dish. We make our own super easy garlic bread by mixing together some butter and crushed garlic and spreading it on slices of french stick and then putting it under the grill for a minute. Then adding some grated cheese and putting it back under the grill to melt.

We also love making a big batch of our Roasted Cherry Tomatoes to go with this pasta dish. They are nice mixed through it too, as the tomato juice adds to the sauce.

Spaghetti Carbonara on a plate with chopped basil leaves sprinkled on top.

FAQs

Best pasta to use for carbonara

Carbonara traditionally uses spaghetti, however this sauce recipe can be used with any pasta and we have used penne, fusilli and macaroni (which kids love) in the past.

Can carbonara be reheated?

Yes, it can be reheated if you have leftovers, however it is best to do it on the stove, rather than in the microwave. Put it in a frying pan over a medium heat and heat for 3-4 minutes, until warmed through. If it is a little dry, then you can stir some olive oil through it.

Extra tips

Keep the dish more traditional by using parmesan instead of cheddar.
You can give this dish a veggie boost by adding peas and/or spinach.
You can use Prosciutto or parma ham instead of bacon.
If you are going to reheat this, then do it on the stove top rather than in the microwave.

More pasta recipes

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