Name: Low-Fat Carbonara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp minced garlic; 1/2 small red onion, (diced); 150 g mushrooms, (sliced); 4 lean bacon medallions, (sliced); 400 ml reduced salt chicken stock; 30 g lightest cream cheese; 35 g protein cheese, (grated (we used 'Eat Lean' brand)); 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, (grated); 250 g Protein Pasta ((we used Pastella, from Waitrose))

PASTA IS THE ARCH ENEMY OF FATLOSS AND YOU MUST NOT LET IT PASS YOUR LIPS IF YOU ARE DIETING!

Naw, just joking.

Pasta gets a bit of a bad rap, probably because it’s Queen of the Carb family. (The King is bread, obviously.)

If you’re a bit loathe to spend your precious calories on pasta, then why not give protein pasta a bash?

A nice compromise, don’t you think?

Be sure to shop around, though. You can pick up a fair few brands nowadays – Dr Zak’s being one of the most popular.

Dr Zak’s offering comes in at 372kcal, 40P / 38C / 6F (3g Fibre) per 100g. We’re pretty stingy with our macros over here, so naturally we hunted out a lower-cal alternative.

We discovered this Pastella stuff in the fresh pasta isle at Waitrose. Macros: 261kcal, 17P / 42C / 2.1F (2.2 Fibre).

The verdict? It’s pretty good! Good enough to make the cut for a TOF Nosh recipe, which is saying something.

We’re a tad fussy.

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we’re big advocates of keeping your grub interesting whilst you’re dieting.

Eating strictly ‘bro’ is all well and good until you feel so deprived (read: depraved) that you might just lose your mind if somebody so much as mentions ‘ Creamy Carbonara’ in your presence.

Luckily for you, we know how to make said ‘Creamy Carbonara’, and our version won’t break the macro bank.

Even luckier, we happily share all of our lovely dieting recipes with you guys.

Sharing is caring, and all that.

Low-Fat Carbonara

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 3

Calories 333 kcal

Author Lottie Lifts

Ingredients

1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 small red onion, diced
150 g mushrooms, sliced
4 lean bacon medallions, sliced
400 ml reduced salt chicken stock
30 g lightest cream cheese
35 g protein cheese, grated (we used 'Eat Lean' brand)
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
250 g Protein Pasta (we used Pastella, from Waitrose)

Instructions

Set a pan over medium heat and add low-calorie cooking spray.
Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and bacon and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Whilst the mushrooms and bacon are cooking, fill a saucepan with freshly boiled water and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes, draining once aldente.
Now add the stock to the bacon and mushrooms followed by the cream cheese. Keep stirring until the cream cheese has melted and no lumps remain.
Add the protein cheese and parmesan, stirring until completely melted. Season well with pepper and a little salt if needed (the cheese and bacon are salty, so taste it first!)
Pour the cooked pasta into the mixture, tossing together until the pasta is totally coated.
Best served immediately.