Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara
This Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara is a delicious low calorie version of the typical fat laden one. It’s loaded with smoky marinated mushrooms, so you will never miss the bacon, egg and cheese or the calories!
Think you can’t enjoy pasta while watching your calories? You can with this Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara!
The typical Carbonara is loaded with cholesterol, fat and calories, for instance The Cheesecake Factory’s Pasta Carbonara has 2,290 calories, 81 grams of SATURATED fat (not just fat, they don’t include those numbers on their site). Now you know why it was included in The Daily Meal’s, ‘America’s 15 Unhealthiest Chain Restaurant Dishes’.
I’ve made this Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara with non-dairy milk, mushrooms and zoodles to cut the fat and make it waistline friendly meal!
You can always make it with pasta, too, but if you haven’t tried zucchini noodles (zoodles) give ’em a try. They are surprisingly good!
I also use nutritional yeast to give it a “cheesy” flavor instead of using cheese. It saves tons of calories, cholesterol and fat, plus its an immune booster, complete protein and has B vitamins for healthy skin, hair and nails. You can find it in most grocery stores in the health food section.
Tip – Try it on popcorn for a healthy “cheezy” flavor!
This Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara is savory and satisfying and
only 192 calories!
Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 4 cups zoodles (zucchini noodles) or 1/2 lb pasta
- 1 Tbsp parsley
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp white or black pepper
Instructions
- Combine amino acids, maple syrup, vinegar and liquid smoke together in a container. Add sliced mushrooms and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes or longer, tossing occasionally. Be sure to reserve 1 Tbsp of marinade for sauce.
- While mushrooms marinate, cut your zoodles or boil pasta according to package directions. If using pasta, toss with a little olive oil and return to pot until ready to use.
- Place olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion for approximately 3 or 4 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add mushrooms and continue sauteing for 2 more minutes. Stirring frequently.
- Stir almond milk, nutritional yeast, 1 Tbsp of marinade and cornstarch together to create a slurry. Add the slurry to mushroom mixture and stir continuously until it thickens.
- Toss in zoodles or pasta, parsley, red pepper flakes and pepper. Enjoy!
Nutrition
You never have to feel guilty for eating this Healthy Spaghetti Carbonara!
If you love this recipe, you’ll love Kung Pao Cauliflower! You can save tons of calories with this recipe, too!
You’ll notice I used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce. I like the benefits of using them versus using soy sauce. Liquid aminos make the dish gluten free and coconut aminos make it gluten and soy free. You can read more about them at the Mother Nature Network.
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Intentionally Eat,
Cindy
I love this! Already copied to my secret books of recipes. My fam loves pasta in any form:) Thanks so much!
Yay! Enjoy!
That sounds so amazingly delicious Cindy. We will often just have those large mushrooms for supper stuffed with yummy goodies and it so filling. Can’t wait to try your spaghetti carbonara
Mushrooms are SO good! Enjoy!
Ooo how yummy does this look. Feeling hungry just looking at the piccys. I may try this out x
This sounds absolutely delicious and like something my family would totally love to eat! I’ll be trying this recipe out soon!
Wow! I should try this. I am lactose intolerant so I hope taste will not change even if I don’t use almond milk. Haha.. Gosh, this make me hungry.
It’s perfect for those that are lactose intolerant. Enjoy!
This looks like such a good alternative to the original recipe – I generally would avoid the traditional recipe due to too many carbs, too much dairy and the calories so this is one that would suit in intolerences and needs perfectly!
Thanks! I’m glad you like it!
This recipe is easy to follow and looks amazing. Thank you for all your hard work.
This sounds yummy! I hate mushrooms to be honest, but everything else sounds good (which I guess would it wouldn’t be a Carbonara minus the mushrooms). 🙂 I definitely would like to make a version of this.
this dish looks delicious, we have a similar thing in Italy and we call it “Pasta alla boscaiola” in fact without bacon, cheese and egg we don’t call it “carbonara”.
This looks SO good. I would love to make that but I am not a fan of mushrooms. May be switch it with another vegetable.
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I’ve also used sun-dried tomatoes instead of mushrooms and it was delicious.
Oh, I am badly craving for this. This is so good, this will be a huge hit! This would disappear in no time at our house!
This is an awesome recipe, definitely one to try out. I like that it is a healthy alternative and low calorie.
Wow, I’ve never thought one could make a “cheesey” or creamy carbonara with no cheese and milk! Definitely good for weight watchers!
This is delicious!
However, I wouldn’t call it a Carbonara Sauce. It’s more like a Marsala.
Doesn’t matter what you call it, good job!
I’m just wondering if the zoodles thinned out the sauce because it was watery not thick.
Next time I’ll heat the zoodles separately. I’m going to also try it with pasta to see if it’s thicker.
Thanks for sharing this ☺️
So happy you liked it! The zoodles can thin the sauce. I love Palmini noodles (hearts of palm), they aren’t quite as moist as zoodles.
The red pepper takes it out pf the realm of comfort food (and I only used half). Will make again without. Think of it as spaghetti with mushrooms rather than carbonara.