Healthier spaghetti carbonara with parma ham

  • Portion size: Serves 4
  • Hands-on time 20 min
  • Difficulty: easy

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.

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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
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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.
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  5. 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

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

Quick wins & tips

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

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