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This Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Carbonara is an egg free and grain free version of the classic Italian dish! Spaghetti Squash noodles are tossed with crispy bacon, peas, and a creamy dairy free sauce. It is the perfect healthier comfort food!
Traditional Carbonara is made from a combination of pasta tossed with raw egg and parmesan cheese. The hot pasta “cooks” the egg and creates a creamy sauce. I’ve enjoyed this dish at restaurants in the past, but something about the egg just freaks me out. Ha! I decided to create an egg-free version that tastes like the real thing, but without the fuss or need to worry about scrambling the egg, overcooking it, or not cooking it enough. This dairy free sauce is made from a combination of blended cashews, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon, and chicken broth. It tastes decadent, yet it’s completely dairy free, paleo and Whole30 friendly!
What You Need To Make This Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Carbonara:
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this dish. (Scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe with full amounts!)
- A large spaghetti squash – cut in half and seeds scooped out
- 1 pack of sugar free bacon
- 1 cup of peas (canned or frozen)- you will just cook them according to the package instructions.
- Raw, unsalted cashews
- 2 cloves garlic (whole or minced)
- ½ cup chicken broth
- full fat coconut milk
- nutritional yeast
- lemon
- salt & pepper
That’s it! Unfortunately I haven’t tested a version without cashews – they are necessary here to make the sauce creamy and “cheesy”.
How to Make This Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
The first step is to roast your spaghetti squash. To do this, preheat your oven to 400. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes. If your squash is very large, you may need up to 40 minutes. It should easily release into “strands” using a fork, and it shouldn’t be watery or mushy at all!
Next, we will make the “carbonara” sauce. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The sauce should be very smooth with no chunks of cashews remaining.
*If you do not have a high-powered blender, I recommend soaking the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes prior to making the sauce. Drain and rinse them, then add to the blender.
Add your bacon strips to another foil-lined baking sheet and add them to the oven when the squash has about 15 minutes of time left to cook. Baking bacon is the easiest, mess-free way to cook it!
Cook the peas according to the package directions and set aside.
When the squash and the bacon are both done, pull them out of the oven. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Use a fork to remove the spaghetti squash strands and place them in a skillet on the stove. Crumble the bacon and add it to the pan along with the peas and the sauce. Turn the stove to medium heat and toss it all together while it heats up for a few minutes. Serve with chopped parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Can I Make the Bacon on the Stove?
Yes! To make the bacon on the stove, chop it into 1 inch pieces while it is still raw. Cook the pieces in a pan over medium high heat until crispy. Discard the bacon grease. Add the cooked spaghetti squash, peas, and sauce and toss to combine.
If you make this Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Carbonara, make sure to tag me on Instagram @maryswholelife so I can see!
Looking for some other Spaghetti Squash recipes? Check these out:
Whole30 Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Sheet Pan Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
If you try this recipe and love it, a rating and review on this post would mean the world!
Happy Cooking,
Mary
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you use one of my links to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Mary’s Whole Life!
Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash , cut in half, seeds removed
- 1 pack sugar free bacon, about 8-10 strips
- 1 cup peas, frozen or canned
Carbonara Sauce
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Place the spaghetti squash halves cut-side down on one baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend on high for 30 seconds - 1 minute or until the sauce is very creamy and no chunks remain.* Set the sauce aside.
- Add the bacon strips to the 2nd baking sheet and add it to the oven when the squash has 15 minutes of cook time remaining. Keep an eye on the bacon - it may be done sooner than 15 minutes.
- Cook the peas according to the package directions and set aside.
- Drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate, then cut or crumble it into 1 inch pieces.
- Use a fork to scoop the spaghetti squash strands out and place them in a large skillet on the stove. Add the bacon, peas, and sauce to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium heat for a few minutes. Serve with chopped parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
I just looked at my recipe sheet and it is marked 2021!! I made this tonight for the 100 th time and still love it and so does my family!!
Thank you for all your great recipes Mary, I can always count on your recipes to turn out!!
Merry Christmas!!!
Amazing so delicious!! Actually pretty easy process as well. Love that it doesnt have dairy.
It is so hard to find a yummy sauce option that isn’t full of dairy. This was delicious! I had to switch mine up a bit based on what I had on hand but it turned out great. I also cooked my spaghetti squash in the instant pot for faster cooking. So good! Will make again!
So glad you enjoyed it Allyson!
I come back to this recipe time and time again. I now double the sauce and freeze it so I have it on hand! Love how simple yet flavorful and nutrient packed it is.
Thank you, Leigh!
Delicious! Easy to make! My husband went back for seconds which means a lot for him to do that.
Yay! Thanks Janice!
This was another winner! Very delicious and hearty! Since I had them on hand, I also added some green onions and a couple handfuls of chopped spinach. I’ll add this one to my rotation for sure!
Thanks for this! We are trying to eat more low carb and it didn’t occur to me that we could make this with spaghetti squash! I can’t wait to try it and see if my teenagers will eat it!
Any suggestions on using a different “noodle”? Zucchini, etc… Excited to try this!
In love with this recipe, I have made it multiple times now.
Delicious!! It was my first time using cashews for the sauce. Much easier and creamier than I expected. I will make this again!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Vickie!