Deconstructed spaghetti squash carbonara

1. Prep:
Spaghetti squash – Slice lengthwise down the center, remove seeds and roast cut-side down for 40 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Flip cut-side up when roasting is complete and allow to cool slightly before harvesting strands with a fork by scraping with the grain until the squash is cleaned. Set aside for later. Allow to drain, if possible.

2. Chicken - cube into bite sized pieces and saute or bake.

3. Bacon or pancetta – If using pancetta, cut into small cubes. If using sliced bacon, just cook as is. Brown the meat in a sauté pan, set aside to drain and reserve the fat in a separate container. Chop the bacon into bite-sized bits and set aside.

4. Poached eggs – Bring acidulated water to a simmer in a deep sauté pan or standard sauce pan. I used white vinegar in my water; one teaspoon of vinegar for every cup of water (thank you, Alton Brown). Working with one egg at a time, crack it into a small bowl or ramekin. Create a whirlpool in the simmering water and gently slide the egg into the center of it. Allow the egg to poach for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Place on a paper towel to drain the liquid from the egg.

5. In a clean sauté pan, heat the butter at medium-high heat. When it has come to temp, place the thinly sliced garlic into the butter and gently stir. Garlic burns very easy, so be attentive at this step. As soon as the garlic has some color, reduce the heat to medium and add the spaghetti squash, tossing together right away. Moving quickly will save your garlic and create unique flavor to your pasta.

6. Once the spaghetti squash is coated in fat and garlic, add in the teaspoon of white wine vinegar, chopped bacon, scallion or shallots and the parsley. Toss to combine and let simmer for just a few minutes more.

7. To serve, place desired amount of spaghetti squash on a plate. Top with any extra bacon bits, scallions, parsley and one (or two) of the reserved poached eggs. I like to add a little bit of Celtic sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper at this point as well. I also decided to garnish with a bit of chia seeds — the color is great and they are so good for you! But if you don’t have any on hand, no worries.

8. Break open the yolk to create a silky, rich sauce for your Paleo Carbonara and dig in!

9. We're a little short on carbs and high on fat. Per serving you're looking at 447 calories, 28g fat, 19g carbs, 31g protein. This would be a good meal to choose if your other meals for the day didn't have much for fat in them. I'd eat a piece of fruit for dessert to get some of those missing carbs.