Healthier spaghetti carbonara with parma ham

Healthier spaghetti carbonara with parma ham

Carbonara is traditionally made with cured pork cheek or lardons, both of which are very high in fat. By using parma ham and dry-frying it, you still get that crisp saltiness without loading up on calories.

Healthier spaghetti carbonara with parma ham

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands-on time 20 min

Carbonara is traditionally made with cured pork cheek or lardons, both of which are very high in fat. By using parma ham and dry-frying it, you still get that crisp saltiness without loading up on calories.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
500kcals
Fat
11.3g (4.2g saturated)
Protein
26.1g
Carbohydrates
72.3g (2.1g sugars)
Fibre
5g
Salt
1.3g

Ingredients

  • 8 slices parma ham
  • 400g dried spaghetti
  • 2 British free-range eggs, plus 1 extra yolk
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 40g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
  • Chopped fresh parsley to serve
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Dry-fry the parma ham in a frying pan over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, turning, until crisp. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
  2. Cook the spaghetti in a pan of salted water according to the pack instructions until al dente (just firm to the bite). Meanwhile, beat the eggs and yolk with the garlic and parmesan in a large bowl.
  3. Drain the spaghetti, reserving 3 tbsp of the cooking water. Return the spaghetti to the pan it was cooked in, then add the egg and cheese mixture, and the reserved cooking water. Stir for 1-2 minutes until the spaghetti is coated in the sauce.
  4. Crumble the parma ham into shards, then add to the pasta with plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve sprinkled with extra parmesan and the parsley.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
500kcals
Fat
11.3g (4.2g saturated)
Protein
26.1g
Carbohydrates
72.3g (2.1g sugars)
Fibre
5g
Salt
1.3g

delicious. tips

  1. Next time swap parma ham for ribbons of smoked salmon and stir into the pasta before serving.

Buy ingredients online

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.