Recipes

Pasta Carbonara has been one of those recipes that I have been thinking about trying to lighten up forever, but have always been a bit gun shy. Between the raw egg, cheese, cream, and incredibly velvety texture of a true Carbonara, I wasn’t sure if it was one of those dishes that just shouldn’t be messed with. However my competitive nature got the best of me so I started testing recipes and fell in love with this one from Cooking Light. I decided to use spaghetti squash in place of traditional pasta because I love the taste of spaghetti squash with Parmesan cheese and pepper, but regular pasta would work as well. I also went the traditional route and used pancetta, but you could easily substitute in bacon. Happy eating.

Weight Watchers Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
Points: 7 points plus*
Servings: 2 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
Nutritional Info: 214.5 calories, 10.9 of fat, 15.8g of carbohydrates, 2.6g of fiber, 14.2g of protein*

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup chopped Pancetta (vegetarians replace with 1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup skim or low-fat milk
• 3 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup water, chicken, or vegetable broth, warmed
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti squash using your preferred method. To quickly cook the squash, pierce it all over with a knife as if you were cooking a potato. Then place on a microwave safe plate for ten minutes. Feel it to see if you can squeeze it easily. If not, continue to cook in 30 second increments until it is very tender. Let cool and then cut in half and shred the spaghetti squash. Set aside. You can also roast it.
2. Bring a medium skillet to medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the Pancetta and cook for about 3 minutes or until just browned. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for another 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together the milk, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. Add the spaghetti squash to the skillet. Pour over the cheese and milk mixture and toss to coat everything.
5. In a small bowl gently whisk the egg and warmed chicken broth. Gently add the egg to the skillet and stir constantly. Cook for 4 more minutes until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

* Vegetarian version has only 5 points plus, 172 cal, 7.5g fat, 17.9g carbs, 3.1g fiber, 9.9g protein

Adapted slightly from Cooking Light.