Skinny Carbonara That Beats The Real Thing

I LOVE Carbonara. It was one of the first things I cooked while living on my own in Myrtle Beach. So I was skeptical I could make a “skinny” version that tastes as good. However, this recipe is the real deal! I’m eating it as I type this. It cuts the calories drastically using cauliflower puree instead of heavy cream. I also swapped traditional spaghetti for Banza chickpea pasta. If you follow my blog recipes, you already know I’m a huge fan of Banza pasta. The recipe below is for a generous amount. I like to cook in bulk so I have a lot through the week for lunches.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of Banza pasta (or 1 box of traditional spaghetti)
• 1 large head of cauliflower chopped into florets
• 1 small onion chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesean cheese
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• 5 slices of cooked bacon chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste (I use a generous amount)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs ( if you bake)

Directions:

Bring two separate pots of water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt to each pot. Add the pasta to one pot and the cauliflower florets to another. Cook the pasta al dente, drain and set aside. Cook the cauliflower until fork tender, drain and set aside. In a medium size pan, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute the onions until translucent. Add the chopped garlic towards the end and saute with the onions for 1-2 minutes. Take the cooled cauliflower and pour into a food processor, add the onion and garlic mixture to the food processor. Slowly add the milk until the mixture has a creamy, yet slightly thick consistency. Return the mixture to a pot over low heat. Add the cheese, butter, herbs, salt, pepper and bacon. Keep some milk to the side and add if needed to get a traditional carbonara consistency (thinner than mashed potatoes). It may require more cheese as well, depending on the type of pasta you use. Make sure you taste the mixture as you go, and add more cheese, salt and pepper, if needed. Toss the pasta in and mix everything together well. You can serve as is, or bake in a casserole dish. I prefer this baked with the bread crumbs sprinkled on top. You can bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.