Keto carbonara with zoodles

Keto carbonara with zoodles

Zucchini noodles, or zoodles, are more than just an "alternative" to regular pasta – they're a culinary treat! With all the creamy textures and crispy bacon crunch of the Italian classic, this quick and satisfying keto recipe hits all the right notes.

Keto carbonara with zoodles

Zucchini noodles, or zoodles, are more than just an "alternative" to regular pasta – they're a culinary treat! With all the creamy textures and crispy bacon crunch of the Italian classic, this quick and satisfying keto recipe hits all the right notes.
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 240 ml heavy whipping cream
  • 11 oz. 300 g bacon or pancetta, diced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1¾ lbs 800 g zucchini, zoodles
  • 4 4 egg yolkegg yolks
  • 1 cup (2¾ oz.) 240 ml (80 g) shredded Parmesan cheese, save some for serving
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Instructions

Zoodles

  1. Use a spiralizer to create zucchini noodles (zoodles). If you don’t have a spiralizer, a potato peeler can be used instead to create slightly wider zoodles.
  2. Bacon

  3. Fry the bacon in a large frying pan until crispy.
  4. When done, set aside the whole pan and allow it to cool.
  5. Sauce

  6. Pour heavy cream into a different saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat and gently boil until the cream has reduced by approximately one quarter.
  7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the cream to cool, stir occasionally to prevent skin from forming.
  8. In a separate bowl (while the cream is reducing), combine the egg yolks, cooked diced bacon, including the fat, and parmesan cheese.
  9. Add the egg-bacon-parmesan cheese mixture to the slightly warm sauce, stirring continuously to ensure the egg mixture does not curdle or scramble. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Return the saucepan to medium-low heat to gently warm the sauce. Add the zoodles to the saucepan and warm through (1-2 minutes).

To serve

Divide the carbonara into portions. Top with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan.

Vegetarian keto carbonara

You can easily turn this recipe into a vegetarian keto dish! Just skip the bacon and add some olive oil to your keto carbonara after combining the zoodles with the parmesan mixture.

Recommended special equipment

Spiralizer

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💬 Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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69 comments

  1. 1 comment removed
  2. Miranda
    This recipe (updated version) was great, I did drain my zoodles for an hour and squeeze out any excess water which made it creamy and rich. I will definitely be making it again!
    Reply: #53
  3. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    This recipe (updated version) was great, I did drain my zoodles for an hour and squeeze out any excess water which made it creamy and rich. I will definitely be making it again!

    Great! So glad to hear that!

  4. Sam
    Too watery for my likely. Got the sauce consistency perfect, then the water from the courgettes just drowned the flavour and doubled the liquid content
    Reply: #55
  5. Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor

    Too watery for my likely. Got the sauce consistency perfect, then the water from the courgettes just drowned the flavour and doubled the liquid content

    You may sautee the courgettes for a couple of minutes on their own before adding to sauce to cook off some of the moisture.

  6. Collkabob
    I’m new to the keto diet and I made this tonight for dinner. I wasn’t impressed. Probably will not make this again. I’m not a big bacon person. And it’s hard to wrap my head around all the fat from the butter and bacon fat. I might try adding chicken instead of the bacon. I’m diabetic so watching my carb intake but now if I eat like this I have to be concerned that my heart will explode from all the fat.
    Reply: #57
  7. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    I’m new to the keto diet and I made this tonight for dinner. I wasn’t impressed. Probably will not make this again. I’m not a big bacon person. And it’s hard to wrap my head around all the fat from the butter and bacon fat. I might try adding chicken instead of the bacon. I’m diabetic so watching my carb intake but now if I eat like this I have to be concerned that my heart will explode from all the fat.

    You can certainly reduce the fat in the recipes if needed, but there's no need to fear fat. Here are a few articles that may be helpful for you!
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/saturated-fat
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/fat
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/expert-panel-agrees-limits-to-saturated-fa...
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/saturated-fat-goes-mainstream
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/new-study-high-fat-food-is-good-for-diabetics

  8. Melody
    I was out of parmesan, so used cheddar and yum - bacon and cheddar what's not to love
    Reply: #59
  9. Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor

    I was out of parmesan, so used cheddar and yum - bacon and cheddar what's not to love

    Way to use what you have, Melody!! So glad you loved it!

  10. Michael Cullen
    Why does the headline say 7g of carbs but the video says 9g? Which one is right?
    Reply: #61
  11. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    Why does the headline say 7g of carbs but the video says 9g? Which one is right?

    Hi, Michael! Always go with the information on the website, as it's most up to date. You can see that this recipe was recently updated on January 3, 2021, so the carb count may have changed.

  12. Sandra
    I am fasting at the moment so made this for my partner without even a taste or a lick the whole way through and my partner said it was absolutely delicious and licked the plate clean!! The instructions were so clear and everything worked extremely well. I have never made carbonara before so was fascinated with the process and very pleased with the result. Will have to make it again when not in fast so as to taste the yum!! Go, Go, Go DietDoctor - everything is so successful!
    Reply: #63
  13. Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor

    I am fasting at the moment so made this for my partner without even a taste or a lick the whole way through and my partner said it was absolutely delicious and licked the plate clean!! The instructions were so clear and everything worked extremely well. I have never made carbonara before so was fascinated with the process and very pleased with the result. Will have to make it again when not in fast so as to taste the yum!! Go, Go, Go DietDoctor - everything is so successful!

    Awesome!! Let us know how much you enjoy it when you're able to try it.

  14. Christine
    This is hands down the best carbonara alternative I’ve ever eaten. SO GOOD AND SATISFYING.
    Reply: #65
  15. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    This is hands down the best carbonara alternative I’ve ever eaten. SO GOOD AND SATISFYING.

    Awesome! So glad you love it!

  16. Sian
    This dish was very tasty, the only downfall was how watery it turned out.
    Reply: #67
  17. Charlotte Zwart Team Diet Doctor

    This dish was very tasty, the only downfall was how watery it turned out.

    You may sautee the courgettes for a couple of minutes on their own before adding to sauce to cook off some of the moisture.

  18. Beth
    I thought this was great! I sautéed the zucchini for a few minutes before adding the sauce to the pan and it turned out really well.
  19. 1 comment removed
  20. Adia
    This is great! The key is to sweat your zucchini first! I also salt it and let it sit in a strainer for an hour or so before I use it. It takes all of the excess water out and your sauce doesn't get watered down! I will make this again!
  21. Culinaria
    Super - es gelingt auch perfekt ohne Ei. Ich habe es genau nach Anleitung gemacht. Wichtig ist die Qualität der Zucchini; nur kleine nehmen. Danke für das tolle und gelingsichere Rezept.
  22. Culinaria
    👍🏻😊
  23. DEBORAH
    From a former zoodle hater: my son passed on the best tip for yummy noodles.....cut your zucchini into the type of strands you want, then salt them (as others have pointed out) 20 min before you plan to use them (20 min is plenty). Drop into a pan of unsalted simmering water for 5 seconds to warm them and rinse off the salt, drain well, and serve. No more mushy watery zoodles.

    I am a convert now. They really don't need cooked any more than that, and you will have firm unmushy zoodles.

  24. Rose
    I just realised there’s a comments section after making this amazing dish!. I didn’t know about the tips about salting and draining the zucchini, but just following the recipe it was fine, not watery at all. Loved this recipe and will definitely make it again. 💖
    Reply: #75
  25. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    I just realised there’s a comments section after making this amazing dish!. I didn’t know about the tips about salting and draining the zucchini, but just following the recipe it was fine, not watery at all. Loved this recipe and will definitely make it again. 💖

    Thanks, Rose! So glad you enjoyed it!

  26. Oleeta
    Could you make this with coconut cream?
    Reply: #77
  27. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Could you make this with coconut cream?

    We have not tested this recipe with coconut cream. Coconut cream tends to have a strong coconut taste which may not go well with the rest of these ingredients.

  28. Susan
    Having read the reviews of this recipe about spiralizing the zoodles early, I did so, I put them in a colander and sprinkled some salt over and left to drain, occasionally, squeezing them, the amount of water came off was alot. So when I added them to the pan it wasn't a runny mix. The end result was delicious. I will make again.
    Reply: #79
  29. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Having read the reviews of this recipe about spiralizing the zoodles early, I did so, I put them in a colander and sprinkled some salt over and left to drain, occasionally, squeezing them, the amount of water came off was alot. So when I added them to the pan it wasn't a runny mix. The end result was delicious. I will make again.

    Glad the tips in the reviews were helpful!

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