Carbonara Casserole
I guess I’m on an Italian food kick. Eggplant No Parm last week, Carbonara Casserole this week. Are you mad about it? I don’t think you’re mad about it.
One of the many fabulous attributes of fall is casseroles. Hear me out. It’s hot pretty much all over the U.S. all summer long and even most of spring. When late September rolls around, temperatures drop in the top half of the country pretty significantly. So much so that those of us who live in this fabulous half of the country are inclined to spend hours in the kitchen hanging out around a hot stove. Oh wait, that’s just me? Mike constantly assures me it’s just me. Bummer. But there’s still something about tucking into a hearty, healthy casserole that was made with love that I, well, love about fall so so much!
And this casserole is no exception! About a year ago, Mike mentioned how he had never had pasta carbonara (crazy, I know) and he was dying to give it a try. I met my mom for dinner at a popular local restaurant. I ordered the pasta carbonara with full knowledge that the portion would be huge, and I could bring half of it home for Mike so that he could finally give it a try. He tried it, loved it, but not long after finishing it he exclaimed how extremely full he was, and how heavy of dish it is. He’s absolutely right! Although I love the flavors of carbonara, I don’t always love the way it makes me feel when I’m done eating it.
Enter this cleaned up version, in casserole format! True to Hungry Hungry Hiker fashion, this recipe is free from gluten, sugar, soy, and dairy. It’s paleo and Whole30, but you’d never believe it and your loved ones won’t either! With this casserole, you get all the tasty flavors of carbonara, but you won’t feel bloated and disgusting when you’re done eating it. You’re welcome! I’ll be eating it for lunch every day this week and I’m already way too excited about that 😀
Carbonara Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Grease an 8" x 8" baking dish with 1 tbsp cooking fat of choice.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half along the length and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° F for 30-35 minutes, until the skin gives when you press a finger to it. Remove from oven and let cool until cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F.
- While the spaghetti squash bakes, brown the bacon. Saute the lardons in a large cast iron skillet or in your Instant Pot, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Once crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon fat.
- Make the Carbonara sauce: in a food processor or blender, combine the cashews, egg yolks, nutritional yeast, bacon fat, water, sea salt, and black pepper. Blend/pulse until smooth and combined completely. Dump the sauce into a large bowl and add the peas and bacon bits.
- Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds and slimy part of the spaghetti squash halves. Remove the spaghetti squash threads with the fork and add to the bowl with the sauce, bacon, and peas. Use tongs to toss and combine completely. Spoon the spaghetti squash mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Bake the casserole at 350° F for 25-30 minutes until the casserole starts to brown around the edges and dries on the top. Cut into slices, plate, serve hot, and enjoy!
