This family-friendly carbonara recipe includes two simple adjustments to boost its nutritional content
Carbonara is a timeless, much-loved Italian pasta dish that has become a go-to meal in countless family households. Although the classic recipe calls for just four core ingredients – pasta, bacon, parmesan and eggs – there are clever ways to boost its nutritional content and sneak in a generous helping of hidden vegetables, according to Tesco Development Chef Ollie Pedrick.
With the aim of promoting healthier eating habits for families and children with Tesco, Ollie has revealed his 20-minute secret veg carbonara recipe, incorporating two notable tweaks to the traditional dish.
The first adjustment involves swapping standard spaghetti for wholewheat spaghetti, as “this is a great way of adding fibre into those everyday weekday meals”. Wholewheat pasta is the superior choice due to its higher fibre content – helping you stay fuller for longer, supporting digestive health and reducing the risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.
The second modification Ollie introduces to the recipe involves incorporating Tesco Mediterranean-style roasting vegetables. The chef suggests frying the vegetables beforehand to “elevate them slightly”.
Ollie explained: “For kids, when they see vegetables in their food, immediately before even tasting it, they’re put off by it. That’s why this recipe is a great alternative.” To ensure the frozen vegetables remain undetected in the carbonara, Ollie recommends blending them before incorporating them into the pasta sauce.
Blending vegetables into pasta sauce is an excellent stealthy way to increase your vegetable intake throughout the day. It’s also an ideal approach for encouraging children to consume more vegetables without their knowledge or resistance.
Ollie emphasised that frozen vegetables offer fantastic convenience: they minimise kitchen preparation time and help reduce household food waste.
This carbonara dish requires just five ingredients, serves four people and amounts to only 492 calories per serving.
Ingredients
- 300g of wholewheat spaghetti
- 700g of Mediterranean-style roasting vegetables
- Four reduced-fat and salt-smoked bacon medallions, cut into chunks
- Four eggs
- 50g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Method
Begin by cooking the pasta following the packet instructions. Drain while reserving a large mugful of the cooking water, then return the spaghetti to the pan.
At the same time, cook the vegetables for approximately eight to 10 minutes in a large non-stick frying pan, stirring from time to time. Transfer to a blender and process with a splash of the pasta water until largely smooth. Add the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and fry for four to five minutes until it becomes crispy. Mix most of the bacon with the cooked pasta and the vegetables.
Beat the eggs with the Parmesan, freshly ground black pepper and another dash of the cooking water. Fold the egg mixture into the spaghetti and continue stirring until well combined.
The residual heat from the sauce and pasta should be sufficient to cook the egg and create a silky-smooth coating on the pasta. Serve topped with extra Parmesan, the remaining bacon and black pepper.
