Healthy pasta carbonara

Ingredients

• 300g spaghetti, dried
• 4 slices lean back-bacon rashers, cut into pieces
• 5 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 150g soft cheese with garlic and herbs (lower-fat)
• 1 egg (large)
• 150ml semi-skimmed milk
• 40g cheddar cheese (reduced-fat), finely grated
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, according to packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the bacon and spring onions, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.

   For a vegetarian version, just leave out the bacon.

3. Beat together the soft cheese and egg in a mixing bowl, then stir in the cooked bacon and spring onions. Add the milk, half the hard cheese and the parsley (if using). Season with pepper.
4. Drain the pasta and return it to the saucepan. Add the egg mixture and heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Serve sprinkled with the remaining hard cheese.

   Try adding 75g thawed frozen peas, stirring them in just after adding the egg mixture to the pasta.