With summer upon us, counting calories has been the name of the game to get in your best swimsuit shape. No need to starve yourself on tastleless dishes — Chef Sal Scognamillo of Patsy’s Italian Restaurant has changed the way traditional Italian dishes are prepared in order to promote a lighter, healthier dining experience. The below recipe is a healthier take on traditional Spaghetti Carbonara, using zero cream or prosciutto. Instead, it uses whole wheat pasta and turkey bacon, which contains half the fat of pork bacon. Enjoy!
Whole Wheat Spaghetti Carbonara (serves 4)
1 lb. Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 medium onion (diced)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 slices of turkey bacon
Fresh basil
2 egg yolks
¼ cup low fat Parmigiana cheese, plus more for sprinkling
2 cups of low salt chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the diced onions in the virgin olive oil until they become translucent. In a separate pan, cut the bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy, drain extra grease. After onions are browned, add the bacon and chicken broth. Cook pasta until al dente.
Reserve 2 cups of cooked water from the pasta. Add cooked pasta to the onion and bacon mix. Sprinkle on the Parmigiana cheese. Mix well. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary. When it comes to a boil, add two egg yolks, break apart, and stir in right away (don’t let the eggs cook). Mix basil in the pasta. Dish into four servings, sprinkle cheese to taste.
