Lower fat carbonara recipe

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Our lower fat carbonara recipe takes 25 minutes to make and only uses nine ingredients.

Lower fat carbonara
(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • healthy
Serves4
SkillEasy
Preparation Time10 mins
Cooking Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories409 Kcal20%
Sugar8 g9%
Fat9 g13%
Saturated Fat4 g20%
Salt1.7 gRow 4 - Cell 2
Salt1.7 gRow 5 - Cell 2

This lower fat carbonara is a speedy family favourite that only takes 15 minutes to cook. 

Plus, using fresh pasta would mean it's on the table even quicker. We’ve given the family favourite a lighter makeover by using lean bacon and lower-fat soft cheese, but it’s still creamy and comforting. There are only four steps in the method and you can let the kids help with the preparation if you like. 

Ingredients

  • 300g penne, dried pasta shapes or spaghetti
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 4 rashers lean back bacon (or use turkey rashers), snipped into pieces
  • 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 150g lower-fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 150ml 1% fat milk
  • 40g reduced fat Parmesan or reduced fat mature cheese, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta or spaghetti and cook for 8-12 minutes, according to pack instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the bacon and spring onions and cook them for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
  3. Beat together the soft cheese and egg in a mixing bowl, then stir in the bacon and spring onions. Add the milk, half the cheese and the parsley (if using). Season with some freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Drain the pasta, then return it to the saucepan. Add the egg mixture and heat gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture cooks and thickens. Serve, sprinkled with the remaining cheese and more black pepper, if you like.

Top tips for making this lower fat carbonara

Give the dish an. extra boost of veg by adding some thawed frozen peas to the pan when you stir in the egg mixture. You could also had a handful of spinach leaves and it will wilt down in a matter of minutes. 

Is carbonara high in fats?

Our lower fat carbonara has 4g saturated fat per portion. This is still considered quite high but is over half the amount in our classic recipe, which has 10.5g saturated fat per portion. According to the NHS you should not eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day if you’re a man or 20g if you’re a woman. 

Can I eat carbonara on a diet?

We recommend eating a balanced diet that includes all major food groups for a healthy lifestyle. This means you can absolutely eat carbonara on a diet. If you’d like to reduce the carbs in the recipe, consider swapping half the pasta for some courgette ribbons and to increase the protein try adding some shredded or grilled chicken.

Although it's not very traditional, you can also add some mushrooms, courgette and broccoli florets to bulk the dish out more. 

Profile picture of Jessica Ransom
Jessica Ransom

“Swap the spring onion for a big handful of finely chopped parsley or chives. If it’s wild garlic season you could also add that to the pan with the egg mixture and it will wilt down.”

In step two of this method you need to fry some bacon. Using a non-stick pan will mean you can use minimal oil and still get great results. 

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Food writer Jessica Ransom loves this pan and uses it a lot when cooking at home. She says: “This pan is so lightweight and it makes it very easy to cook with and wash up. Tossing pasta together is a breeze and the non-stick coating is very efficient too.”

If you’re on a diet you might like this low calorie pastaor our healthy pasta recipes. For a boost of protein too, check out these healthy chicken recipes

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies

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