Slimming Spaghetti Carbonara
, Updated Aug 06, 2025
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Spaghetti Carbonara is super easy, uses just a handful of ingredients and is the ultimate comfort food! Did you know that it is also Syn Free on Slimming World?
Let me guide you on how to make authentic Italian Carbonara recipe that, surprisingly, contains no cream. I guarantee it will be come one of your favourite quick meals – ready in just 10 minutes!
Try also… my delicious slimming-friendly Spaghetti Bolognese
Carbonara has got to be one of my all-time favorite dishes! The creamy salty pasta with flecks of bacon is just the ultimate comfort food. If you’re craving that silky Carbonara sauce but want to keep things light and slimming-friendly, you’ve found your new go-to.
This version uses simple authentic ingredients – lean bacon, eggs, Parmesan and spaghetti to deliver maximum comfort with minimum kitchen time. Ready in just 10 minutes and totally satisfying, it’s the kind of dinner that is indulgent without messing up your plan.
A Brief Carbonara History
- What’s Carbonara then? A classic Italian pasta dish from Rome, this recipe features pasta (usually spaghetti), eggs, Pecorino Romano, guanciale (cured pork cheek) and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. No cream, no garlic, no peas – no matter what TikTok says!
- Name Origins Carbonara likely comes from the Italian word carbonaro which means charcoal burner. It is believed that this quick pasta was prepared for coal workers… yet another theory is that the black pepper sprinkled on the pasta resembles specks of coal dust!
- Where did Carbonara come from? There are no recorded printed recipes for this dish prior to WWII, so it is thought that Spaghetti alla Carbonara originated in Rome during or just after the war. Italian cooks used the of bacon and powdered egg rations of American soldiers and somehow turned these ingredients into something magical by combining them with pasta, black pepper, and cheese.
Creamy Carbonara… With No Cream!
Have your notepad ready… the secret behind authentic Italian Carbonara is using eggs and egg yolks instead of heavy cream. Alter the ratio of eggs to egg yolks and you tweak how rich your sauce is.
- My preference –––> For a truly rich sauce use one whole egg and three egg yolks. The only downside is that you are left with lots of egg whites which you could use to make meringues of Pavlova.
- One whole egg and two egg yolks still results in a creamy sauce, you might need to add a bit more of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce and make it creamy.
- Three whole eggs – still delicious but less rich. There’s more danger of scrambling the eggs when using whole eggs as egg whites set at a lower temperature than yolks.
The other secret is adding a little of the salty starchy pasta water which acts to both part cook the eggs and make the sauce creamier. Make sure to use freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and not the boxed kind.
Here’s What You Will Need
- Dried pasta: Spaghetti is most commonly associated with Carbonara, but you can use any pasta shape you like. I love rigatoni, tortiglioni or penne as they hold on to the sauce best. Up the fibre by using whole wheat pasta, or use gluten-free pasta if you are intolerant.
- Salt: The pasta must be cooked in salted water which will season the spaghetti from the inside out. If you leave out the salt you will end up with a bland dish!
- Eggs and egg yolks: Use only the freshest free-range eggs. Make sure they are pasteurized (US/Australia) or carry the Lion mark stamp (UK).
- Parmesan or Pecorino Romano: Freshly grated cheese and nothing but. Put that dusty grated boxed cheese back on the shelf!
- Guanciale, pancetta, or bacon: Streaky bacon is probably the closest substitute for guanciale. Use lean back bacon if you are making a slimming version of this dish.
- Chopped parsley to garnish for a pop of color (entirely optional).
How to Make Carbonara Step-By-Step
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions – usually around 7-10 minutes. Set a timer – you don’t want to overcook your pasta, it should be al dente.
- While the pasta is boiling, dry fry the bacon in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until nicely coloured then set aside.
- Put the egg, egg yolks and grated cheese in a large ceramic bowl and whisk together to combine using a balloon whisk. Do not use a metal bowl!
- Drain the pasta, reserving a couple of ladlefuls of the hot starchy pasta water. Working quickly, add the hot pasta into the bowl containing the egg mixture and toss together with tongs to combine.
- Add a little of the reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until the carbonara sauce is silky and has a creamy consistency.
- Add the bacon and chopped parsley and toss to combine. Taste the pasta: you shouldn’t need to add any salt but this is also up to personal preferences – add some if you like.
- Divide among four pasta bowls (ideally warm ones!). Serve immediately seasoned with freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
How to avoid scrambling the eggs
The only slightly tricky part when making carbonara sauce is ending with stringy scrambled eggs. I have been there – not pretty, or yummy.
The eggs will only scramble if they are dropped in a really hot pan – it’s the heat that causes them to start to set. Egg whites will start to set if the temperature is above 145°F (62°C) while egg yolks are a bit more forgiving.
You can avoid this culinary faux pas by simply adding the hot pasta to the whisked eggs and tossing together quickly to combine. Use as much of the (hot) reserved pasta water as you need to loosen the sauce.
Is it safe to eat raw eggs?
- Raw eggs can pose health risks if they’re not pasteurized. The USDA recommends using pasteurized eggs which have been heat-treated to kill bacteria in any recipe where eggs are not fully cooked.
- The guidelines in the UK have now deemed raw and runny eggs safe to eat provided they were produced under the British Lion code of practice (look for the Red Lion Stamp on the eggs).
Notes and Tips
- How to Cook Guanciale for Carbonara: For truly authentic Italian flavor, you must use guanciale (cured pork cheek – take a look at my Pasta alla Zozzona recipe). Cut into cubes or strips and add to a dry skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until the guanciale renders its fat, 6-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon once its is crisp and golden but keep the rendered fat in the pan. Add the hot drained pasta, tossing it to coat and immediately add the pasta to the egg /cheese mixture.
- Carbonara is best served fresh – after all it takes minutes to prepare! If you have leftovers, transfer to an airtight container as soon as they’ve cooled. and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When reheating, add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce and reheat over low heat in a nonstick pan, stirring constantly. You need to be careful not to overcook the eggs.
Recipe Variations
Let’s get this out of the way… all of these variations technically mean you are serving something Carbonara-ish (Italians look away now). All the suggestions below are slimming–friendly.
- Chicken: cook diced chicken breasts with the bacon and add to the pasta. Alternatively you can use leftover roast chicken meat or shredded rotisserie chicken. Pan fry or microwave to heat through before adding to the pasta.
- Salmon: add diced smoked salmon or cooked and flaked salmon.
- Vegetarian: Pan fry 7oz (100g) sliced mushrooms with a minced garlic clove using low calorie cooking spray until nicely colored. Replace the parmesan with a vegetarian hard cheese.
Have you made my Slimming World Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day
Spaghetti Carbonara
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 10 ½ oz (300g) spaghetti
- 2 tsp salt for the pasta water
For the carbonara sauce
- 7 oz (100g) lean bacon or see note 1
- 1 large whole egg
- 3 large egg yolks (see notes for variations)
- 1 cup (100g ) freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
- cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt. Cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions – usually around 7-10 minutes. Set a timer – you don’t want to overcook your pasta, it should be al dente.10 ½ oz (300g) spaghetti, 2 tsp salt
- Drain the pasta, reserving about half a cup (125ml) of the hot starchy pasta water.
- While the pasta is boiling, cook the bacon in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until nicely colored then set aside.7 oz (100g) lean bacon
- Put the egg, yolks and grated cheese in a large bowl and whisk together to combine using a balloon whisk.1 large whole egg, 3 large egg yolks, 1 cup (100g ) freshly grated Parmesan
- Working quickly, add the hot pasta into the bowl containing the egg mixture and toss together with tongs to combine. Add some of the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until the carbonara sauce is silky and has a creamy consistency.
- Add the bacon and chopped parsley and toss to combine. Taste the pasta: you shouldn’t need to add any salt but this is also up to personal preferences – add some if necessary.
- Serve immediately seasoned with the pepper and parsley, if using.cracked black pepper, 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Dear Lucy, I’m so excited about the white bread which you have shared. However, it seems that whatever bread I try, they always wind up looking like a hockey puck. I live a little bit over 9300 ft. up in the Rockies. If you can give me some tips on how I can make your white bread recipe and have it come out all gorgeous and fluffy and golden brown, I would so appreciate it. I’m really tired of looking at hockey pucks. They don’t taste very good at all. Any help, suggestions, tips or whatever knowledge you can impart to me would be so great. When I was a flat life person, I could make all kinds of bread, rolls, danish rolls,etc. and they would be good enough to photograph, but not anymore. I hate hockey pucks. Thank you for sharing any suggestions you might have.
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl, I have no experience with high altitude but I will do some research and get back to you ❤️