Need a 30 minute meal that the entire family will love? You have to give my healthier version of carbonara a try! Traditional carbonara is made with white pasta and loads of cheese, and doesn’t include many veggies. My version uses whole grain pasta, less cheese, quality ingredients and veggies, of course!
With this recipe and many of my other recipes, you can really make this meal your own. It’s versatile. Choose what greens you want. Choose a different pasta. Are you gluten-free? Try your fave gluten free pasta instead of the whole grain pasta. Add mushrooms or other veggies. Add chicken or another protein. You get the idea. Let this recipe be a starting point for something that you can truly make your own.
why whole grain?
Let’s take a quick look at the difference between whole grains and refined grains.
Refined grains are grains that have been processed to remove the fibrous + nutritious bran and germ, leaving only the non-nutritious endosperm. Refined grains are missing fiber and key nutrients that whole grains contain, therefore they should be avoided or limited in your diet if possible.
In order to determine the difference between a whole and refined grain, you will need to read your ingredient labels when choosing a product.
Some key words to pay attention to in determining if a product is whole grain: “whole-wheat, ” “whole-grain wheat,” any grain with the word “WHOLE” in front of it.
*the following popular foods that may not indicate that they are “whole grain” on the food label are naturally whole grain: brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, oatmeal.
Some words to pay attention to on a food label to determine if a product is refined: “white flour,” “wheat,” “bleached flour,” “enriched flour,” does NOT say the word “WHOLE”.
Got it? Great! There is definitely more to the story when it comes to finding the best whole grains and avoiding the refined stuff, so if you’ve got any questions at all please don’t hesitate to ask. Or send me a Facebook or Instagram message.
Now to the good part. The recipe. Check it out below!
Healthier Whole Grain Carbonara
servings: about 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound of your favorite whole grain pasta
- 6-8 slices organic, uncured bacon
- 3 organic eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups of your favorite fresh greens [I used half arugula, half spinach]
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- sea salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, brown bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and set on paper towels to collect the excess fat. To the same skillet with bacon fat, add onions and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add greens and black pepper and cook until greens are wilted. To your veggie mixture add in the pasta and eggs. Stir to scramble eggs and coat the pasta evenly. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Lastly, crumble bacon onto pasta and give a quick stir. Add sea salt to taste if needed. Enjoy!
- 1 pound of your favorite whole grain pasta
- 6-8 slices organic, uncured bacon
- 3 organic eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups of your favorite fresh greens [I used half arugula, half spinach]
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- sea salt to taste
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, brown bacon until crispy.
- Remove from pan and set on paper towels to collect the excess fat.
- To the same skillet with bacon fat, add onions and garlic.
- Sauté for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add greens and black pepper and cook until greens are wilted.
- To your veggie mixture add in the pasta and eggs.
- Stir to scramble eggs and coat the pasta evenly.
- Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
- Lastly, crumble bacon onto pasta and give a quick stir.
- Add sea salt to taste if needed.
- Enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
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