Healthy Pasta Carbonara
This healthy Pasta Carbonara recipe is the ultimate comfort food, and is a beloved Roman dish. It is one of the easiest and quickest homemade fancy pastas to make, and perfect for a dinner party to impress your guests or for everyday.
It is by far my daughters favorite pasta dish. I usually use spaghetti for this dish, but linguine can also be used. Check the package instructions for the pasta cooking time, as times can vary for different pastas and brands.
For the best results put both the pan of pasta to boil, and in another pot (dutch oven or frying pan) cook the bacon with the olive oil at the same time. The bacon will be done before the spaghetti, which is perfect timing to let the oil from the bacon cool a bit, before adding the drained spaghetti into it. The oil from cooking the bacon will be part of the sauce, so don’t drain the bacon. I hope you enjoy this version of this roman dish from Italy. Buon appetito!
Recipe Snapshot
EASE: Is so quick and easy to make.
PROS: It looks and tastes incredible.
CONS: Tastes so great, you’ll be asked to make it again.
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? Absolutely.
Substitutes
- Pasta: A variety of pastas can be used in this carbonara recipe. Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, macaroni, penne, tagliatelle, and angel hair are the most popular. Let me know your favorite pasta for this recipe in the comments below.
- Bacon: Pancetta can be substituted for the bacon. It can be sliced thinly or thick, whichever is your preference.
- Lactose-Free: According to cheese manufacturer Cello, parmesan cheese contains a low amount of lactose, so it doesn’t usually effect those that are lactose intolerant. However, if even a bit of lactose is an issue, and you can find lactose free parmesan cheese in the market, it can be substituted in this recipe.
- Peas: If you want a vegetable added to this dish, peas can be added. Cook frozen peas with the pasta.
DID YOU KNOW: You can adjust the serving size and automatically recalculate the ingredient quantities, by hovering or clicking on the underlined number at the bottom of this recipe e.g. servings: 1, and drag the slider to the desired quanitiy.
This recipe includes a kitchen timer. Click on the underlined time in the recipe to start the timer.
Handy Tip: Prepare Ahead!
Cut the bacon, and mix the egg/cheese mixture before starting to cook.
Healthy Pasta Carbonara
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Spoon
- 1 Pasta Strainer
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl
- 1 Dutch Oven or Frying Pan
- 1 Medium Pot
- 1 Set of Measuring cups
- 1 Set of Measuring spoons
- 1 Chef's knife or Kitchen Scissors
- 1 Wisk
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon sliced into 3/4 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 6 ounces spaghetti
- 3 eggs extra large
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated plus extra for serving
- black pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl, then mix in grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of black pepper. Set aside.
- Bring water in a pan to a boil on high heat. Add spaghetti pasta and a drop of olive oil to the water, and cook according to the instructions on the pasta package (usually 10 minutes). Turn heat down a bit, if it is about to boil over.
- While pasta is cooking, put olive oil and sliced bacon into a dutch oven on medium high heat. Cook bacon till brown and crispy, tossing occasionally. When done, turn off the heat.
- When pasta is done, drain the pasta, and add it to the bacon, olive oil mixture in the dutch oven. Toss with bacon.
- Add the egg and cheese sauce mixture to the pasta and quickly toss. Turn heat on to medium low and cook, constantly stirring and tossing until egg looks cooked. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
calculated by an online nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
