The ultimate makeover: Spaghetti carbonara

Italian comfort food without the calories, this recipe is rich and creamy, yet just one third of the fat

Recipe uploaded by

Angela Nilsen

15 ratings 5

Recipe by Angela Nilsen

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Difficulty and servings

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 15 mins

Cook 20 mins

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Then get everything ready. Grate the cheese and beat the eggs in a bowl with a little pepper. Cook the peas in boiling water for 2-3 mins, drain and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti to al dente following pack instructions. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a large, deep frying or sauté pan. Fry the bacon for several mins until it starts to go crisp. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly until pale brown. Tip in the peas and if the spaghetti isn't quite ready, keep warm over a very low heat.
When the pasta is done, take the pan with the bacon in off the heat. Lift the spaghetti out of its pan with a pair of tongs and drop it into the frying pan with the garlic, bacon and peas. Mix most of the cheese into the eggs, keeping back a handful of cheese for sprinkling over each serving. Quickly pour in the eggs and cheese, lifting and stirring with the tongs so everything mixes well and the spaghetti gets coated. Ladle in some more of the pasta water, enough to coat the spaghetti and create a bit of sauce in the pan.
Spoon or twirl the pasta into shallow serving bowls using a long pronged fork. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of the reserved cheese, some snipped chives and a grating of black pepper.

Per serving

527 kcalories, protein 29.7g, carbohydrate 70g, fat 16.1 g, saturated fat 6.3g, fibre 5.2g, sugar 4.4g, salt 1.63 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2011.

Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

Annette

25 August 2011

Annette rated and commented on this recipe

We left out the garlic and used cheddar instead of parmesan so the kids would eat it.... I might add a few chopped mushrooms next time too! Really nice and tasty, will definitely be making this again.

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LoveLifeToday

29 August 2011

LoveLifeToday rated and commented on this recipe

Really yummy! I added mushrooms like the lady above suggested and it worked really well. The only criticism I have, is that because the egg is not cooked, it was not really hot, so it became cold quite quickly. Other than that, lovely recipe.

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avalina1

30 August 2011

avalina1 rated and commented on this recipe

I left out the peas, but it all worked perfectly. It tasted great and was very easy to make!

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Spela

02 September 2011

Spela rated and commented on this recipe

Left out the peas - no need really! Best carbonara I ever had!

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Elle

03 September 2011

Elle rated and commented on this recipe

I made this for my husband and 13 year old son, as I have been searching for simple but healthy recipes and they both love pasta. This is great, very simple and quick and they both said it was delicious! I am looking forward to making a veggie option for myself, substituting the ham with mushrooms and a good strong vegetarian cheese as it is difficult to find a really good vegetarian parmesan in the supermarkets near me. Definitely a winner!

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Julie Anne

08 November 2011

Julie Anne rated and commented on this recipe

Made it exactly as the recipe said but with a little bit more bacon. Tastes exactly how you'd expect - like light, healthy carbonara! I would definitely make it again, maybe with slightly less spaghetti next time because there was an awful lot of it. It barely fit in the pan!

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sister8x

10 January 2012

sister8x commented on this recipe

All we changed was pecorino cheese instead of parmesan and smoked back bacon. We will definitely cook this dish again possibly leaving out the peas. Delicious, and very easy to do.

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sister8x

10 January 2012

sister8x rated this recipe

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Caz

16 January 2012

Caz commented on this recipe

This was delicious much preferred it to carbonara made with cream. I replaced the peas with mushrooms.

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Caz

16 January 2012

Caz rated and commented on this recipe

This was delicious much preferred it to carbonara made with cream. I replaced the peas with mushrooms.

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Caz

16 January 2012

Caz commented on this recipe

This was delicious much preferred it to carbonara made with cream. I replaced the peas with mushrooms.

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lizleicester

13 February 2012

lizleicester rated and commented on this recipe

I thought this was delicious but the cream was missed by the rest of the family to the extent that they added it as a topping which somewhat defeated the "Ultimate Makeover" aim!

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Jen

28 February 2012

Jen rated and commented on this recipe

Have made this twice now and the pasta man in the house gives it his approval even though he has said in the past that he doesn't like pasta without 'a sauce'! I made this with cubetti de pancetta pieces instead of bacon and it was delicious. You definitely need to add a good slosh of the pasta water at the end to bring it all together.

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Jen

28 February 2012

Jen commented on this recipe

Plus - I halved the recipe for us two but still used two eggs and think it needed them.

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Kirsten

29 February 2012

Kirsten rated and commented on this recipe

Loved this, better than the recipie I tried with cream. Used mushrooms instead of peas.

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cakeanyone?

28 March 2012

cakeanyone? rated and commented on this recipe

Good, quick, simple recipe. Used gammon instead of bacon just because I had some leftover and added some mushrooms too. Needs a good lot of seasoning and I was naughty and added a good splosh of double cream too (100 ml perhaps)!

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DEStheCHEF

17 May 2012

DEStheCHEF rated and commented on this recipe

i made this without the bacon and used peas and asparagus tips for a loudly spring version

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Nikki in NZ

26 May 2012

Nikki in NZ commented on this recipe

My daughter who is 9 made fresh spaghetti to go with this recipe, it was time consuming but worth all her effort the taste was yummy!

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Jeannie

15 July 2012

Jeannie rated and commented on this recipe

Leave out the peas, add a little left over cooked chicken in small chunks and some mushrooms. Serve with a salad. Lovely - everyone I have made this for loves it, and wont be going back to using cream.

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The West

16 July 2012

The West commented on this recipe

Added mushrooms and used parsley instead of chives, as that is all we had - delicious! Even our 6 year old enjoyed it.

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