I decided last night tonight we hadn’t cooked Spaghetti Carbonara in ages and I wanted to give a classic recipe a new twist using spaghetti squash for the noodles. It was delicious! I think my husband liked it even more then me! And he usually doesn’t care for spaghetti squash.
Unfortunately, I was out of black olives, and classic carbonara usually has some in it. I tossed in a small can of drained mushrooms instead and this version came out GREAT! This recipe is a little high in carbs because the spaghetti squash itself if a bit carb-y. On the brighter side, it’s all healthy carbs, so you can eat this one guilt-free. 🙂 This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo folks will want to use coconut milk for the cream.
I wish I could get smaller squash, but our stores only seem to stock them 3# and larger as a rule. It would be so pretty to serve a half on each plate. But I’ve only found a small squash ONE time at the store in the 17 years I’ve lived in this town. Maybe it’s because everything’s bigger in Texas?
NOTE: If you can get smaller squashes, or grow your own, I would use two smaller 1-1½# squashes for serving 4 people and place one half on each plate.
INGREDIENTS:
3 lb. raw weight spaghetti squash (yields 4 cups cooked threads)
1 c. chopped low-sodium bacon
2 oz. red onion, chopped coarsely
1 oz. red bell pepper (or any color)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ c. parsley
¼ c. heavy cream
1 egg yolk
¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese
VARIATIONS: Add a few sliced black olives for a more authentic dish (I was out); or toss in a small can of drained mushrooms (or 4 fresh ones sliced, added to the saute pan with the onion).
DIRECTIONS: Cut off squash stem. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place face down in dish with 1/2″ water and microwave on HI for about 25 minutes (only 13 minutes if you do them one at a time). When done, drain off water, scoop out seeds and discard. Fork out the threads into the baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350º. Place the squash shells in a baking pan.
Mix the cream, egg yolk and Parmesan in a dish and beat with a fork to blend well. Set aside for a few minutes.
In a skillet, brown the bacon. Add onion and saute until tender. Add red pepper and garlic and saute a couple minutes. Stir in the parsley and let it wilt a couple minutes as well. Lower heat. Stir in the egg-cheese mixture. Stir the squash threads in now. Spoon the filling back into the shells and pop the pan into your preheated oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheese-egg mixture appears done. Each filled half will probably feed two people, especially if you have a salad or other vegetable with this.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
237 cals, 25g fat, 13.35g carbs, 2.87g fiber, 10.48g NET CARBS, 10.72 g protein, 867 mg sodium
