Healthy Pasta Carbonara

Prep time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano or grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 ounces turkey bacon
  • 10 ounces dry whole wheat thin spaghetti
  • 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • Lots of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed (add more peas if you like them!)
Directions:
  1. Add eggs, cheese and garlic powder to a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
  2. Add bacon to a large skillet or pan and place over medium heat, cook bacon on both sides until golden brown. If the pan starts to smoke at any point, simply lower the heat. (I always cook my bacon on medium to medium low heat.)
  3. While the bacon is cooking, place a large pot of water over high heat. Once the water boils, stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes.
  4. Once the bacon is done, blot with a paper towel to absorb excess grease, then chop into bite sized pieces and set aside. You’ll be using this pan for the pasta so remove it from the heat and the hot burner and set on aside on the stovetop.
  5. Once pasta is done cooking, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and set aside, then drain remaining pasta in a colander. IMMEDIATELY transfer pasta to the pan you cooked the bacon in; the pan might still be warm but it should not be over any direct heat.
  6. Slowly stir in the egg and parmesan mixture and use tongs to coat the pasta with the mixture. The warmth of the pasta will help cook the eggs and make them nice and creamy to coat the pasta. The eggs should not be curdled or chunky. Add in a little bit of the reserved pasta water if necessary to make the sauce creamier. I usually only add a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water, but it depends on how creamy you like your pasta!
  7. Give the pasta another stir, then add LOTS of freshly ground black pepper, the chopped bacon and thawed peas. Stir again to coat. Taste and add more pepper if necessary. Add red pepper flakes if you like a little bit of heat. Enjoy! 
Nutrition:

Per serving: Calories: 435 kcal, Carbohydrates: 58.2g, Protein: 30.9g, Fat: 10.1g, Fiber: 4g

Recipe source: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-pasta-carbonara/