This low calorie carbonara pasta recipe is healthy and delicious.
I’ll show you how to make a spaghetti carbonara recipe in a healthy new way without sacrificing flavor or serving size.
Pasta carbonara recipes can easily be made healthy and low (or at least lower) in calories with some smart ingredient measurements and additions.
For instance, I love to add kale to my carbonara pasta recipes. It wilts down and adds a nice boost of greens to the dish without changing the flavor.
I also lower the amount of bacon in this carbonara recipe pasta dish. But I still use real bacon, so you get full flavor. It’s a delicate balance that results in a perfect carbonara pasta recipe… just lower in calories and higher in nutrition.
This low calorie spaghetti carbonara recipe has all of the flavor of the original dish… with fewer calories and more nutrition.
Low Calorie Carbonara Pasta
This pasta carbonara recipe is from my cookbook Lose Weight by Eating Easy Dinners. The book is packed full of simple, delicious dinners under 500 calories.
Below you will find the full pasta recipe carbonara from the cookbook… Just my little gift to all the cookbook reader out there. If you love this recipe, you will really love the cookbook!
This is one of my favorite recipes, pasta carbonara is so simple and elegant. It’s a great date night dinner, and kids love the bacon flavored pasta as well.
Here’s what you’ll find in this article:
- Pasta Carbonara Ingredients (shopping list!)
- How to Make Carbonara
- Carbonara Pasta Recipe (recipe card!)
- More About the Cookbook
This article will show you how to make carbonara spaghetti in a healthy new way… Without any weird ingredients.
You’re just a quick scroll away from a healthy recipe for carbonara pasta…
Pasta Carbonara Ingredients
Below you will find a list for ingredient for carbonara. I recommend you take a screen shot on your phone for easy grocery shopping.
This recipe pasta carbonara won’t have any weird ingredients, so you can pick up everything you’ll need to make the recipe at your favorite grocery store.
You can make pasta recipes carbonara with just 8 ingredients… Many of which you probably already have in your pantry or fridge!
Spaghetti Carbonara Shopping List:
- Spaghetti
- Bacon
- Kale
- Frozen peas
- Garlic
- Egg
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
Now that you have the shopping list, let’s get to the recipe for pasta carbonara, and my yummy low calorie carbonara sauce!
How to Make Carbonara Pasta Recipe
Here I will show you how to make carbonara pasta recipes in a healthy new way.
Making this recipe of pasta carbonara is simple and easy… And if it goes wrong, I’ve given you tips to correct the carbonara sauce! So don’t fret, just get into the kitchen and get cooking!
Recipes carbonara pasta are easy and delicious. Once you’ve mastered this impressive dish, you’ll want to make it all the time.
How to Make Carbonara Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water. (Just scoop it out with a coffee mug; it doesn’t need to be precise and the mug’s handle makes it safer to dip.)
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat to your desired crispness. Crumble the bacon. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease from the skillet. Return the bacon to the pan.
- Add the kale and peas and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the kale wilts and the peas thaw and warm up. Add the garlic, then remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Now comes the tricky part: Add the hot pasta to the skillet, then add the beaten egg and very quickly mix together. If you’re not quick, you’ll get scrambled eggs and not sauce. If this happens, don’t fret . . . just mix very well and most of the lumps will dissolve. Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water and mix well. Add more pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.
- Top with half the Parmesan and half the parsley. Toss to combine, then top with the remaining Parmesan and parsley and serve.
Up next is the sharable carbonara pasta recipe card… and following that you’ll find more information about the cookbook Easy Dinners.
Low Calorie Carbonara Pasta
I love this pantry/freezer meal. It’s impressive, and easy to toss together fast! You can find more easy dinners like this one in my Easy Dinners Cookbook…
Special note: If you have a dietary concern about uncooked eggs—or if they just gross you out—simply heat the dish for 2 minutes on the lowest heat after adding the cheese.
Low Calorie Carbonara Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces spaghetti
- 1 slice bacon
- 1 cup thinly sliced kale
- ⅓ cup frozen peas no need to thaw
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large egg whisked
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water. (Just scoop it out with a coffee mug; it doesn’t need to be precise and the mug’s handle makes it safer to dip.)
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat to your desired crispness. Crumble the bacon. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease from the skillet. Return the bacon to the pan.
- Add the kale and peas and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the kale wilts and the peas thaw and warm up. Add the garlic, then remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Now comes the tricky part: Add the hot pasta to the skillet, then add the beaten egg and very quickly mix together. If you’re not quick, you’ll get scrambled eggs and not sauce. If this happens, don’t fret . . . just mix very well and most of the lumps will dissolve. Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water and mix well. Add more pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.
- Top with half the Parmesan and half the parsley. Toss to combine, then top with the remaining Parmesan and parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Get the Cookbook
If you liked this recipe for Low Calorie White Chicken Chili, you’ll love my Easy Dinners cookbook!
All of the recipes in this cookbook had to be easy to make… and yes we had some strict guidelines:
Every Easy Dinners Recipe had to fall into 2 or more of these categories:
- Prep time 5 minutes or less
- Cook time 30 minutes or less
- 5 ingredients or less
- Dump in and walk away recipes
I worked on these guidelines with my editor to ensure all of the recipes in this cookbook are TRULY Easy Dinners!
You can find delicious meals for the entire family in the Easy Dinners cookbook… here are a few of my favorite:
- Huevos Rancheros Tacos
- BLTA Salad
- Pizza Chicken Breasts
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Curry Soup
- Peanut Butter Brownies
Get the recipes HERE!
Make your life easier with Easy Dinners that you can feel good about eating and serving your family. All meals are under 500 calories, and don’t worry… the portions are HUGE!
Lose Weight By Eating: Easy Dinners includes recipes for one-pan meals, slow cookers, Instant Pots, and even cooking with kids, as well as shortcuts to help you get your evening meal on the table fast.
If you’re looking to add healthy meals to your diet without sacrificing valuable time with your family… try some Easy Dinner Recipes!
This White Chicken Chili Recipe is just a small “taste” of what you’ll find in the Easy Dinners Cookbook!
What to Read Next:
Lose Weight By Eating Cookbooks
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Article History:
- Originally written and published August 20, 2020 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on May 3, 2023 by Audrey Johns
Great question! One slice of bacon is 43 calories and one slice of turkey bacon is 30 calories, so if you use turkey bacon in place of real bacon it will lover the calories down to 405 calories per serving.
What would the calories be if turkey bacon is used instead?