If you’re an Italian and stumbled across this recipe – perhaps best if you look away. The carbonara recipe I’d like to share with you today is a healthier alternative to the delicious classic. If, for whatever reason, you need to control your diet and avoid eating fatty foods but you’re craving a plate of the good old carbonara, then this healthier alternative might be a godsend for you. Whilst it doesn’t taste exactly like the original, it might be good enough to hit the spot. It’s super quick and easy to make and I have it in my weekday meals rota on a regular basis. But of course, if I occasionally crave the real deal – I just go and make that.

Ingredients for a healthy high protein carbonara

For two servings you will need:

• 140g chickpea pasta
• 100g fat-reduced cheese (mine was 90% reduced fat – Eatlean brand in the UK)
• 6 bacon medallions
• 2 eggs
• 2 garlic cloves
• freshly ground black pepper

Scroll down to read about ingredient swaps.

How to make a high protein carbonara

Start by boiling a pot of water for the pasta, then cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the cheese (grate it first if it’s not already). Stir the mixture and set aside.

In parallel, heat up a large non-stick pan.

Dice the bacon medallions into roughly 1cm x 1cm pieces. Peel the garlic cloves.

Add the bacon and garlic to the pan and cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Take it off the heat.

When cooked, drain the pasta but save the water – it’s super important, don’t pour it all down the sink!

Transfer the pasta to the pan with bacon. You can fish out the two garlic cloves beforehand if you don’t want them in your pasta.

Add the egg & cheese mixture to the pan and stir everything vigorously. Add a splash of the pasta water and keep stirring.

You can put the pan back on the hob for a few seconds if you want the eggs to set a bit more, but don’t stop stirring. Ideally, keep the sauce quite runny, but I imagine some people might prefer it more set.

When all of the pasta is evenly coated with the eggs and cheese, it’s time to plate your carbonara. Divide it between two plates and sprinkle with freshly milled black pepper.

Enjoy!

Nutritional value of healthy carbonara

The whole recipe has 1024 kcal, 27 grams of fat, 70 grams of carbs, 113 grams of protein and 21 grams of fibre.

Assuming you split it into two portions, each of them will have 512 kcal, 13 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbs, 56 grams of protein and 10 grams of fibre.

All of the fibre comes from the chickpea pasta. 10 grams of fibre is one third of the daily recommended intake for an adult. Studies show that most adults don’t hit that target. Eating 10 grams of fibre in one meal will bring you significantly closer to the daily target.

The nutritional value of this recipe was calculated based on the ingredients I used. Scroll down to see what exact ingredients I used and how you can swap them.

Why is protein important

Protein is one of the three main macronutrients, alongside carbs and fat. Each of them plays an important role. Protein helps build our muscles and makes us strong. It’s also the most satiating macronutrient. A meal high in protein will keep you full for longer.

Ingredient swaps you can make

The ingredients I used pushed this carbonara recipe as far as possible in terms of making it healthy. If you don’t have access to the exact same products, or simply prefer to make it closer to an original carbonara, feel free to make some swaps.

Cheese

I used 90% reduced fat cheese – in the UK, it’s the Eatlean cheese (blue package variety). It’s the only brand I know of that makes cheese as low in fat. If you can’t find it in your local shop, feel free to replace it with other reduced fat cheese.

If you want this carbonara to taste more like the original at the expense of the nutritional value, replace some of the low-fat cheese with grated Grana Padano cheese. For example, instead of using 100g low fat cheese, you can use 50g of low fat cheese and 50g of Grana Padano.

Bacon

Original carbonara uses diced pancetta. It’s higher in fat than bacon medallions, which is why I made the swap, but again – feel free to swap it back! If you don’t have access to any of these, you could also make do with bacon rashers or bacon lardons.

Pasta

I used chickpea pasta, which is higher in fibre and protein than regular white pasta. Feel free to use your favourite pasta instead, or mix chickpea and regular pasta in equal amounts.

Keep in mind that swapping any of the ingredients will change the nutritional value of your carbonara.

How to store high protein carbonara

You can store this healthy carbonara in the fridge. It will last a couple of days. You can meal prep it in advance and then reheat in a microwave, adding an extra splash of water. But of course, it will taste best when fresh.

Bon Appetit!

So there you have it – a recipe for turning the comfort food classic into a healthier, lower in fat version. It may not taste exactly like original carbonara, but it’s good enough for an everyday healthy meal. Plus, with the ingredient swaps, you can choose where you draw the line between healthy and indulgent. Enjoy!

Also see:

• Food
• Savoury