I love working with spaghetti squash when planning a dinner party menu. Tasty in its own right, it also provides a fantastic vehicle for any number of flavors. Plus it is usually perfectly acceptable for whichever dietary restrictions I’m trying to accommodate. (I won’t talk in absolutes, because few things in life qualify.) That said, this Spaghetti Squash Carbonara is a rich and delicious dish that’s great as a main course or a side if you prefer.
Want a vegetarian version? Skip the bacon or replace it with sautéed mushrooms.
Want to make this dairy free? Try adding nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.
What You Need to Make Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
Ingredients
- Spaghetti Squash – I use 1 large one for the normal version of this recipe. If you can only find small ones, grab two. You’ll need to roast and shred them.
- Bacon – I like to use thick cut bacon. If we were going for more authenticity, we’d grab pancetta. I opted for thick cut bacon in this case both for ease of sourcing and price. However, by all means, if you want to use pancetta, go for it.
- Avocado Oil – This is just for sautéeing the onion and garlic. You could also use regular olive oil if you prefer.
- Onion – Once diced, I wind up with about 130 grams, 4.5 ounces, or 1 cup.
- Minced Garlic – I buy the pre-minced version in bulk.
- Ground Black Pepper
- Eggs – I use Jumbo.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – You’ll divide this in half. One half will get mixed directly with the beaten eggs and the other half will get sprinkled on top of the finished mixture.
Equipment
- Large Rimmed Baking Sheet – Plus a 2nd one if using it to cook bacon
- Wire Rack Insert for Rimmed Baking Sheet – Optional for cooking bacon
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Fork – For shredding the spaghetti squash and mixing the egg and parmesan cheese.
- Spoon – Or other utensil for scooping the seeds and pulp out of the spaghetti squash.
- Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoons
- Small Mixing Bowl – For beating the eggs and parmesan cheese.
- Large Sauté Pan or Skillet
Getting Started with Making Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
Don’t be alarmed by the time notes on this recipe. A large portion of the cooking time is roasting the spaghetti squash which is mostly hands off.
Roasting and Prepping the Spaghetti Squash
That said, we’ll start with roasting the large Spaghetti Squash. I line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and then stab the squash a couple of times on each “side” to make sure it can vent while it roasts.
You’ll want to preheat your oven to 400°F, place the stabbed spaghetti squash on the lined baking sheet and then pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, you’ll turn the squash over onto its other side and then roast it for another 20 minutes.
Once that’s done, you can take it out of the oven and let it cool until it’s cool enough for you to handle it. I usually let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing off both ends and cutting it in half. I use a large spoon to clean the seeds and pulp / guts out of the center. Then you’ll take a fork and shred the flesh of the squash into angel hair-like strands. Now you can set it aside for the moment.
Preparing the Bacon
While the squash is roasting, you can cook and dice (or dice and cook) the bacon. I typically cook it in the oven at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet with a wire rack insert. (Isn’t that a convenient time and temp? Weird, it’s like I planned it. 🙂) Then I use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut it into little pieces. You could also dice it first and then cook the little pieces on the stove top until they are rendered and crispy. I like the oven method because it doesn’t splatter all over the place. However, I also have a dishwasher to take care of the wire rack insert.
Once done and in small pieces, you can set the bacon aside as well.
Cooking the Aromatics
Now we can move on to cooking the diced onion. I start by heating approximately 2 tablespoons of Avocado Oil in a large sauté pan or skillet. We’ll cook the onions until softened (about 8 minutes). Then we’ll add in 2 tablespoons of Minced Garlic and 1 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper and stir to combine.
Assembly and Final Cook
Next we’ll toss in the cooked bacon pieces and the shredded spaghetti squash and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. While that mixture is heating, in a small mixing bowl you’ll beat 4 Eggs (jumbo) and ½ cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese.
Once the spaghetti squash mixture is hot all the way through, you’ll remove the pan from the heat and briskly stir in the egg and cheese mixture until it even coats the spaghetti squash. You’re using the residual heat to cook the eggs.
Finally, we’ll top the dish with the remaining grated Parmesan cheese and serve it warm.
Related Recipes
Are you looking for some other spaghetti squash recipes? If so check out these ones:
- Ham, Mushroom, and Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Creamy Garlic, Broccoli, and Mushroom Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 Spaghetti Squash Large. Roasted and Shredded
- 1 pound Bacon Cooked and Diced
- 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 4.5 ounces Onion Diced. 130 grams // 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 4 Eggs Jumbo
- 1 cup Parmesan Grated. Divided: ½ mixed with Eggs, ½ sprinkled on top of cooked dish.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F and stab 1 Spaghetti Squash on all sides with a knife.1 Spaghetti Squash
- Place the spaghetti squash on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, turn over, and then roast for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool until it’s safe and comfortable to handle.
- Remove the seeds and center pulp (guts) and discard. Use a fork to shred the flesh of the spaghetti squash into thin, spaghetti-like strands. Set it aside.
- Cook and dice 1 pound Bacon (preferably thick cut).1 pound Bacon
- Dice 4.5 ounces Onion. Heat 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the Onion until softened (about 8 minutes). Add 2 tablespoons Garlic (Minced) and 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper. Continue cooking for another 30 – 60 seconds or until fragrant. Add the cooked bacon into the onion mixture.2 tablespoons Avocado Oil, 4.5 ounces Onion, 2 tablespoons Garlic, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- Toss in the shredded Spaghetti Squash and toss until all ingredients are evenly distributed and everything is hot all the way through.
- In a separate bowl beat 4 Eggs (jumbo) and half of the Parmesan Cheese (grated).4 Eggs, 1 cup Parmesan
- Remove the sauté pan from the heat and briskly stir the egg mixture into the spaghetti squash until evenly coated.
- Top with the remaining half of the Parmesan (grated) and serve warm.1 cup Parmesan
Equipment
- Large Rimmed Baking Sheet Plus a 2nd one if using it to cook bacon
- Wire Rack Insert for Rimmed Baking Sheet Optional for cooking bacon
- Fork
- Spoon Or other utensil for scooping the seeds and pulp out of the spaghetti squash.
- Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoons
- Small Mixing Bowl
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