This easy and nutritious Jamie Oliver Skinny Carbonara Pasta is a lighter take on the classic, featuring creamy yoghurt, smoky bacon, and fresh peas. It’s a quick, satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy nights, and you can easily swap ingredients to suit what you have in your kitchen. Enjoy a deliciously healthy twist on carbonara!
Ingredients Needed
- 200g (7 oz) freshly podded or frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon (15g) flaked almonds
- 1 small clove of garlic
- ½ a bunch (15g/0.5 oz) fresh basil
- 15g (0.5 oz) Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon
- 150g (5.3 oz) wholewheat spaghetti
- 1 rasher (slice) of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
- Olive oil
- 1 large free-range egg
- 100g (3.5 oz) fat-free natural yoghurt
How To Make Skinny Carbonara Pasta
- Prepare the pasta: Put a pan of boiling salted water on the heat for your pasta. Dunk a sieve containing the peas into the water for 30 seconds, then put them aside, leaving the pan on the heat.
- Toast the almonds: Very lightly toast the almonds in a dry non-stick frying pan on medium heat, then blitz until fine in a food processor.
- Make the pesto: With the processor still running, peel and drop in the garlic, a pinch of sea salt, the basil leaves, the finely grated Parmesan, and lemon juice. Blitz until it comes together, then pulse in the peas, keeping some texture.
- Cook the pasta: Cook the wholewheat spaghetti in the boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
- Cook the bacon: Meanwhile, finely slice the bacon and fry it slowly in a frying pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-low heat until golden and crispy. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
- Heat the pea mixture: Scoop in three-quarters of the pea mixture to heat through in the pan with the bacon fat.
- Make the creamy mixture: Whisk the egg and yoghurt together well.
- Combine the pasta: When the pasta is done, reserve a mugful of cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it straight into the pea pan, mixing well. Take the pan off the heat to avoid scrambling the egg.
- Finish the dish: Pour in the egg mixture and toss until the pasta is evenly coated, silky, and creamy. Add the reserved cooking water if needed.
- Season and serve: Taste and season to perfection, then serve topped with the remaining pea mixture and crispy bacon. Enjoy your light and tasty carbonara!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the peas: Only dunk them in the boiling water for 30 seconds to keep their texture and flavor fresh in the pasta.
- Toast the almonds lightly: Lightly toasting the almonds before blitzing adds a richer, nuttier flavor to the pesto.
- Use room-temperature eggs: Let the egg come to room temperature before mixing it with the yoghurt. This helps create a smoother, creamier sauce.
- Reserve pasta water: Always save a mugful of pasta cooking water. It helps loosen the sauce and makes it creamy without being too thick.
How To Store Leftovers?
Let the leftover Skinny Carbonara Pasta cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/2 of the recipe)
- Calories: 493
- Total Fat: 16.4g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2g
- Total Carbohydrate: 63.6g
- Dietary Fiber: 11.5g
- Sugars: 9.2g
- Protein: 27g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Veggie Carbonara Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Spinach Pici Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Squash And Ricotta Ravioli Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Courgette Tagliatelle Pasta
Jamie Oliver Skinny Carbonara Pasta
Description
This easy and nutritious Jamie Oliver Skinny Carbonara Pasta is a lighter take on the classic, featuring creamy yoghurt, smoky bacon, and fresh peas. It’s a quick, satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy nights, and you can easily swap ingredients to suit what you have in your kitchen. Enjoy a deliciously healthy twist on carbonara!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta: Put a pan of boiling salted water on the heat for your pasta. Dunk a sieve containing the peas into the water for 30 seconds, then put them aside, leaving the pan on the heat.
- Toast the almonds: Very lightly toast the almonds in a dry non-stick frying pan on medium heat, then blitz until fine in a food processor.
- Make the pesto: With the processor still running, peel and drop in the garlic, a pinch of sea salt, the basil leaves, the finely grated Parmesan, and lemon juice. Blitz until it comes together, then pulse in the peas, keeping some texture.
- Cook the pasta: Cook the wholewheat spaghetti in the boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
- Cook the bacon: Meanwhile, finely slice the bacon and fry it slowly in a frying pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-low heat until golden and crispy. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
- Heat the pea mixture: Scoop in three-quarters of the pea mixture to heat through in the pan with the bacon fat.
- Make the creamy mixture: Whisk the egg and yoghurt together well.
- Combine the pasta: When the pasta is done, reserve a mugful of cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it straight into the pea pan, mixing well. Take the pan off the heat to avoid scrambling the egg.
- Finish the dish: Pour in the egg mixture and toss until the pasta is evenly coated, silky, and creamy. Add the reserved cooking water if needed.
- Season and serve: Taste and season to perfection, then serve topped with the remaining pea mixture and crispy bacon. Enjoy your light and tasty carbonara!
Notes
- Don’t overcook the peas: Only dunk them in the boiling water for 30 seconds to keep their texture and flavor fresh in the pasta.
- Toast the almonds lightly: Lightly toasting the almonds before blitzing adds a richer, nuttier flavor to the pesto.
- Use room-temperature eggs: Let the egg come to room temperature before mixing it with the yoghurt. This helps create a smoother, creamier sauce.
- Reserve pasta water: Always save a mugful of pasta cooking water. It helps loosen the sauce and makes it creamy without being too thick.
Jamie Oliver Skinny Carbonara Pasta