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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
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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.
My husband is dairy free and said that this is the closest thing he’s had to Alfredo sauce since he could actually have it. He’s requested it several times since I found it a couple of weeks ago! I made it with the squash the first time and just the sauce with fettuccini noodles the last 2-3 times. Great recipe!
This was so amazing ! Everyone i have served it to has asked for the recipe ! One of the best dairy free sauces we have ever had .
I’m excited to make this! Do you by chance have the nutritional information? Specifically looking for calories per serving. Thank you!
Hi – All of the amounts are listed on the recipe card – you have to scroll to the bottom of the post!
Oh my god! This was so delicious! It was creamy and tasted cheesy!! I am not a huge bacon lover, but loved the bacon in this dish. We will definitely be adding to our rotation! Tastes like comfort food!
Another great one!! Soooo good and SOOO easy!! I could eat that sauce plain with just a spoon – Yum!!
Made this last night and WOW! Even my husband commented on how it was so creamy that he couldn’t believe it was dairy free. Even my 3 and 6 year old loved it. Will definitely keep in the rotation.
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much!
I was so looking forward to trying this recipe and it did not disappoint. It was loved by my whole family. I thought it couldn’t be enough sauce for the giant spaghetti squash, but the sauce it so rich it was perfect. I will be adding this to the regular rotation for sure.
This recipe for the carbonara was bomb!! Thanks for sharing!
Darlene