Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

One of my all time favorite meals is Carbonara with RPM Italian in Chicago and Bar La Grassa in Minneapolis winning the awards for best ever. But, let's be real, Carbonara is NOT a healthy meal. When I found this recipe on Pinterest, I was pumped to have a healthier alternative and Jason absolutely loved it, so double bonus! I tweaked the recipe a bit to make it even healthier, so here's my version...

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 spaghetti squash
• olive oil
• 3-5 strips turkey bacon (chopped)
• 1/2 white onion (chopped)
• 1/4 c skim milk
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/4 c vegetable stock
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c frozen peas
• 1 red pepper (chopped)
• Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roast Spaghetti Squash. Cut in half length wise, remove seeds and brush with olive oil and s&p. Put the cutside down in back pan and roast at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes until it's tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and run fork through to create "spaghetti". 
   
2. While squash is baking, cooking chopped bacon for 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes until golden brown. Turn down heat and continue to cook until bacon is nice and crispy.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a separate bow whisk together milk, cheese and s&p.
   
4. Once your bacon is nice and crispy, add the frozen peas and red pepper to the pot.
   
5. Once your spaghetti squash in finished, add to the pot and pour milk mixture and gently toss.
   
6. In a separate bow, whisk warm chicken brother (I microwaved for 1 minute). Gently add egg mixture to pan and constantly stir for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens. 
   

Note: The success of this recipe relies on the spaghetti squash. I've made this three times now and the first time it was perfect, second time the squash was under-cooked and too crispy and the third time (which is pictured) I overcooked the squash which made it mushy. It still tastes fine, but if you're trying to trick yourself into thinking you are eating pasta...make sure you squash is cooked correctly.