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.
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?
- 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.
Two: Cook the bacon under the grill (broiler).
Three: Put the eggs in a bowl and whisk and then add the creme fraiche and cheese.
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.
Five: Serve with chopped basil and a little grated parmesan.
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.
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.
FAQs
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.
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.
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Recipe
Healthy Carbonara
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
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
- Cook the bacon under the grill (broiler).
- Put the eggs in a bowl and whisk and then add the creme fraiche and cheese.
- 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.
- Serve with chopped basil and a little grated parmesan.
Notes
- 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 Proscuitto 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.
Hannah
We made this with leftover roast ham and it was really good. It’s nice to be able to have a lighter version as it is one of my favourite meals.