Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

I love carbonara in just about any form (deviled eggs? Breakfast ramen?!), but this spaghetti squash carbonara is something special. Roasted spaghetti squash is tossed in a creamy rich sauce with crispy pancetta bits for a new spin on the classic Italian staple. Yes, it’s low-carb and gluten-free—and it’s also just plain delicious.

Typical spaghetti carbonara is made by tossing hot pasta into a mixture of egg yolks and grated Pecorino Romano and folding in either crispy guanciale (cured pork jowl) or pancetta (pork belly). This version substitutes spaghetti squash for the usual spaghetti. It’s a pretty simple recipe, but there are a few little pointers to keep in mind. Here are a couple tips to smooth your way to spaghetti squash heaven:

1. Dry out the squash: It’s important to eliminate as much moisture from the spaghetti squash as possible before tossing it with the egg and the cheese; otherwise, your sauce will be watery. Draining the squash in a fine-mesh sieve helps, as does reheating the squash in the pancetta pan before adding it to the bowl with the sauce ingredients.
2. Finely shred or grate the cheese: The Pecorino Romano should melt beautifully into the sauce with the egg when the hot spaghetti squash hits it. If it’s not shredded finely enough (or, even better, grated!), it won’t melt properly, and you’ll have grainy bits of cheese in your sauce. It’s a tiny detail, but it really matters.
3. Get the squash hot: The silky-smooth sauce is created when the heat of the spaghetti squash tempers the eggs and melts the cheese, and everything gets tossed together to create that creamy, rich dish. To be successful with this, it’s important that the squash is actually hot when it hits the bowl. I recommend actually picking up a piece in the pan and lightly touching it with your finger to check the temperature. If it feels hot to the touch (but not hot enough to burn you when you touch it!), it’s good to go.

Storage:
This spaghetti squash carbonara is best fresh (despite all the draining in the world, it tends to get watery as it sits), but if you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The leftovers are delicious cold, but if you want to enjoy it warm, I recommend heating in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each, to redistribute the heat. This version definitely reheats better than a typical pasta carbonara, but if you go overboard with the reheating, you risk ruining the texture of the sauce.

Made this? Let us know in the comments below.