Spaghetti Squash Carbonara (Low-Carb)

Roasted Spaghetti Squash Carbonara is filled with a creamy egg-based sauce, Parmesan cheese, and then topped with crispy bacon and fresh basil. You won’t even miss the pasta in this easy, low-carb, and keto-diet friendly recipe. Meal prep this healthy Italian dish for busy weeknights and have it ready to enjoy for dinner or lunch! 

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Recently we had our cousin over for a little family dinner night.  She loves to cook so I thought it would be fun to try out a new stuffed spaghetti squash recipe.

And this time… we were going low-carb with a Spaghetti Squash Carbonara!

Since all of us have a little issue with soft cheeses (hello, lactose intolerance in adulthood!) the heavy cream found in a classic carbonara sauce would have to be substituted.

To say I wasn’t worried about how this creamy sauce would turn out WITHOUT the cream, would be a lie.

In fact, I almost pulled out a frozen pizza just in case it was a total flop.

Well ya’ll, I have some good news for you!!  Not only does the cashew milk and egg yolks combo work incredibly well at creating a luxuriously soft texture, but it is also SUPER tasty.

Pair a savory, Parmesan cheese sauce with salty bacon and the subtly sweet flavor of a roasted spaghetti squash…

and the flavor explosion is OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD delicious.  Your taste buds will seriously do a happy dance.

It’s also rather simple to throw together – the total hands-on-time is less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients

The ingredients you will need for this spaghetti squash carbonara are relatively easy to find at your local grocery store.  There are also a few substitutions you can make to limit the dairy or even make the recipe completely Paleo!

• Spaghetti Squash – Try to purchase a medium-sized spaghetti squash.  If you purchase a large one you may not end up with enough sauce to completely coat the squash “noodles.”
• Bacon – Select your favorite bacon variety to use in this recipe.  Try to avoid ones with too much sweet flavor (like maple-flavored!) as it will interfere with the savory tones of the dish.  If you’re Paleo, low-carb or keto make sure you look for one with no sugar added.
• Eggs – Two egg yolks are used to make the carbonara sauce ultra creamy and luxurious.  Unfortunately, there is not a good egg-free substitution for this since it is the main ingredient in the sauce.
• Milk – Cashew milk was used while testing this recipe to decrease the overall amount of dairy in the recipe.  However, regular milk or even heavy cream can be used if you do not have any issues with lactose.
• Parmesan Cheese – Finely grated, and not shredded, Parmesan cheese is the best to use since it will easily melt into the sauce.  If you’re dairy-free you can try out a vegan Parmesan cheese, but it may not melt quite as easily into the sauce as real cheese does.
• Herbs – Finely chopped basil brings a wonderful freshness to the dish and adds a nice finishing touch.  If it’s difficult to find basil, you can also use Italian parsley instead.

Cooking Spaghetti Squash

While there are numerous ways to cook spaghetti squash, it’s recommended to bake spaghetti squash in the oven for this particular recipe.

Roasting squash allows it to caramelize and brings out its natural sweetness.  This slightly sweet flavor from the squash “noodles” pairs wonderfully with the rich and savory carbonara sauce.

However, if you’re in a rush and do not have 50 minutes to bake spaghetti squash, you can also try cooking it in the Instant Pot.

Carbonara Sauce

A traditional carbonara sauce is made by cooking bacon and then combining the remaining fat with some sort of milk or cream, egg yolks, and Parmesan cheese.  If you would like to make this recipe lower in fat and calories, opt to use a cashew milk instead of regular milk or heavy cream.

To make carbonara sauce:

1. Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the bacon is cooked through.  Remove bacon from the skillet, trying to reserve as much of the bacon fat as you can.  Measure out the bacon fat.  If you have less than 3 tablespoons, add additional oil until you reach this amount. (step 1 above)

2. Add bacon fat and/or oil back to the skillet along with the crushed garlic cloves.  Sauté over medium-low heat for 1 minute, or until garlic becomes fragrant.

3. Pour in milk and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking occasionally.

4. Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl.  Slowly add 3 tablespoons of the warmed milk from the skillet, while whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. (step 2 above)

5. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and stir to combine.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes while whisking occasionally. (step 3 & 4 above)

6. Mix in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste. (step 5 & 6 above)

Tempering Eggs

It may initially seem a bit intimidating to add egg yolks to a sauce without them turning into scrambled eggs.

But no need to worry!  I’ve got a little trick below that will ensure your egg yolks do not cook while in the sauce.

And it’s called… tempering!

“What is tempering?” you might be wondering.

Tempering is a process of adding small amounts of warmer liquid to eggs in order to slowly raise their temperature.  If you add cold, or even room temperature, eggs into a sauce the rapid change in temperature will end up cooking them and turning them into small pieces of scrambled eggs.

So instead, the process of adding a bit of warmed milk to the eggs, one tablespoon at a time, will slowly raise the temperature of the egg yolks so they will mix in smoothly.

Serving & Storing

Once you have your bacon bits cooked, the carbonara sauce made, and the spaghetti squash cooked, it’s time to put it all together!

To do this you’ll want to pour half of the carbonara sauce into each of the squash boats.  Toss the sauce around to full coat the spaghetti squash “noodles.” (step 1 above)

Let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up and then add chopped bacon and finely chopped basil. (step 2 above)

Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste. (step 3 above)

If you have any leftovers store the spaghetti squash with the sauce separately from the cooked bacon bits and basil.  Reheat the noodles with sauce in the microwave or in a skillet and warm the bacon up in the oven or in a separate skillet.  Top leftovers with a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh parsley.

Other Recipes

If you want a few more easy stuffed squash recipes, you might also enjoy:

Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey

Fajita Chicken Spaghetti Squash

4.8 from 5 votes

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Roasted Spaghetti Squash Carbonara is filled with a creamy egg-based sauce, Parmesan cheese, and then topped with crispy bacon and fresh basil. You won't even miss the pasta in this easy, low-carb, and keto-diet friendly recipe. Meal prep this healthy Italian dish for busy weeknights and have it ready to enjoy for dinner or lunch! 

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Course Dinner, lunch, main dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword dinner, healthy, low-carb, pasta alternative

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 345 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

Roasted Spaghetti Squash:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Carbonara Sauce:

• 6 oz. bacon cut into small pieces
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• ¾ cup milk regular, cashew milk, or heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• Fresh basil to serve

Instructions

Spaghetti Squash:

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F.

2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.* Scoop out and remove seeds using a large spoon with a relatively sharp edge.
3. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over the inside of each half and sprinkle both with ¼ tsp. Salt and ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper.
4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place spaghetti squash halves face side down.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the the insides shred easily with a fork.

Carbonara Sauce:

1. Add chopped bacon to a large stainless steel or non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the bacon is cooked through.
2. Remove bacon from the skillet, trying to reserve as much of the bacon fat as you can. Measure out the bacon fat. If you have less than 3 tablespoons, add additional oil until you reach this amount.
3. Add bacon fat and/or oil back to the skillet along with the crushed garlic cloves. Saute over medium-low heat for 1 minute, or until garlic becomes fragrant.
4. Pour in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking occasionally.
5. Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl. Slowly add 3 tablespoons of the warmed milk from the skillet, while whisking constantly, to temper the eggs.
6. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and stir to combine. Simmer for 1-2 minutes while whisking occasionally.
7. Mix in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste.
8. Serve sauce over spaghetti squash with bacon pieces and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Amount Per Serving

Calories 345 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Fat 27g42%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 111mg37%

Sodium 933mg41%

Potassium 305mg9%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 465IU9%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 280mg28%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.