Italian Carbonara is a firm favourite in countless households and restaurants, but sadly for us, the creamy, cheesy & carb-ey dish tends to be incredibly high in calories.
Fear not, because we’ve given this classic meal a little twist. Using just 5 ingredients, you’ll be cooking up a faff free, low-calorie and protein-packed storm in no time!
To serve two people, you’ll need:
- 150g dried whole-wheat spaghetti
- 2 chicken breasts, diced
- ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 large free-range egg
- 30 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated.
First of all, pop your spaghetti in a pan of boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.
In the meantime, grab your diced chicken and pop it in a frying pan alongside a splash of oil – coconut oil is a great option, but olive or sunflower will do the trick too. Whack your hob up to a medium heat until the chicken chunks are white all the way through..
Next up, place your chopped parsley into a bowl along with your egg, a splash of water from the pasta pan, and the majority of your grated parmesan. Give this a thorough whisk with a fork and place to one side.
Once your pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a mug full of the cooking water for the next stage.
All that’s left to do is take your chicken pan off the heat, toss in the spaghetti and then add the eggy/cheesy mixture. Give this a thorough toss around the pan (you’ll need to put some real umph into this) before adding a generous splash of the pasta water that you saved earlier. And VOILA – you’re ready to serve.
Top the spaghetti with the remaining parmesan and season with a little salt and pepper.
NOTE - If you’re not a big fan of chicken, fear not. This recipe is super-versatile and can be easily tweaked to accommodate your preferences. For example, you could swap the chicken for low-fat sausage or a selection of mushrooms - both of which promise a punch of flavour!
So, next time you’re short on time or money, give this healthy chicken carbonara a go. Remember to let us know how you get on! Be sure to follow us on instagram for more healthy recipes ideas.