Chicken Carbonara (With Spaghetti Squash)

I’ve been on an Italian hen kick these days and have been making a number of Italian impressed hen dishes. First, it was the hen piccata, then I made a wholesome variation of hen cacciatore, hen Florentine, hen Marsala, and now hen carbonara.

Whereas these pasta recipes have most of the similar flavors, I like placing a wholesome twist on them. I’ll usually use veggies as an alternative of pasta for a tasty model decrease in carbs.

Basic Rooster Carbonara

Creamy hen carbonara is usually made with an alfredo sauce or creamy sauce and served over fettuccine, bucatini, or linguine pasta. Extra Americanized variations will even use penne pasta. Historically this pasta dish is made with an egg combination sauce as an alternative of alfredo. Italians whisk collectively pasta water, egg yolks, and laborious cheese (like pecorino Romano) to make the creamy sauce.

An Up to date Rooster Pasta

I substituted spaghetti squash for the pasta to make a grain-free model. I additionally made a more healthy (and optionally available) carbonara sauce and added some wilted spinach and asparagus for taste and further diet. As a substitute of pancetta, which could be laborious to search out, this recipe makes use of crispy bacon.

That is an multi function dish with protein, wholesome fat, and loads of veggies. And because it’s cooked in a single pan, there aren’t many dishes to wash. I exploit a skillet, however you may additionally use a big pot in case your skillet isn’t sufficiently big.

My youngsters appreciated this one and ate it with out criticism!

Rooster Carbonara Over Spaghetti Squash

Scrumptious and wholesome hen carbonara served over nutrient-packed spaghetti squash.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Lower the spaghetti squash in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
Place them face down on a baking sheet or in a big baking dish with ¼ inch of water. Cook dinner for half-hour or till tender when poked with a fork.
Whereas the squash is cooking, butterfly the hen by chopping it in half lengthwise.
Pound it with a meat hammer or the underside of a forged iron pan till it’s ¼ to ½ inch thick.
In a big skillet over medium-high warmth, place the asparagus in about ¼ inch of water. Cook dinner over excessive warmth till the asparagus is shiny inexperienced and beginning to soften. As soon as the water has evaporated add 1 Tablespoon butter and sprinkle with some sea salt.
Take away the asparagus from the pan and put aside.
In the identical pan, prepare dinner bacon till crispy.
Take away the bacon and prepare dinner the skinless hen breast within the bacon grease, sprinkling either side with a number of the sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
Take away the cooked hen and set it apart.
Saute the onion within the remaining bacon grease till smooth.
Add the spinach and further butter or olive oil if wanted and prepare dinner till the spinach is barely wilted.
Add the cream if utilizing and about ¼ teaspoon of the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
At this level, the spaghetti squash needs to be smooth so take away it from the oven and drain off the water. Scrape out the insides with a fork. It needs to be slightly al dente, not mushy.
To serve, put some spaghetti squash on a plate, high with some wilted spinach, then a chunk of hen, some crumbled bacon, and the asparagus.
Garnish with Parmesan if utilizing.