Zucchini, Squash, and Sweet Potato Carbonara

I can’t stop talking about pasta. In my last two blog posts, I’ve talked about pasta. Now, it’s time I make it, except for today’s recipe, it’s all about the vegetable pastas. I’m talking about zoodles (still can’t decide if I love or loath the word) and then also yellow squash and sweet potato noodles because COLOR.

It’s funny – I am a carb lover. You won’t find me on a no-carb diet, no way. My heritage doesn’t allow for it, like it’s physically impossible to deny the bread. Still, being able to substitute pasta for vegetables is a great alternative. There were no carbs harmed in the making of this dish.

Here’s the thing. I have the smallest kitchen ever. I’m pretty sure it’s smaller and less convenient than a kitchen in one of those tiny houses. I have two baker’s racks (one because we don’t have a pantry) and a large 5-shelf stand for things like bowls and casserole dishes. AND THEN, I have an entire spare bathroom filled to the brim with kitchen items I can’t use yet (most from our wedding) because we don’t have the space for them in the kitchen. It’s first world problems, yes, but it’s terribly annoying. (I keep telling myself just a couple more months until our move…)

There are two kitchen items I’ve always wanted: a mandolin and a spiralizer. Despite my unfortunate situation, I purchased a mandolin because they are flat and so won’t take up too much space on one of the kitchen shelves. But the spiralizer? Well, I’ve been holding back because it’s a more bulky item and I was all, well I don’t necessarily neeeeeed it.

(Except I do.)

Enter: The OXO Good Grips Hand-Held Spiralizer! This thing is amazing because it’s super compact, but gets the job done very well. The zucchini and yellow squash I knew wouldn’t be a big deal at all, but I was curious to see how the spiralizer held up for the sweet potato. Swimmingly. The answer is, it held up swimmingly. (Meaning it did a great job.)

So, you’ve got the part with the blades, which is an open blade design – the exact reason the sweet potato was defeated by the spiralizer, and then this really great food holder cap that not only makes it easier to hold onto your vegetable, but also protects your precious mitts from the sharp objects. I found this spiralizer to be a breeze to work with and it created uniform curly noodles of all the vegetables. Cannot wait to make more dishes! I WANT TO SPIRALIZE EVERYTHING!!!!!

“Zoodles” (ughhh) are a classic veggie noodle, but I’ve seen all kinds of veggies spiralized, like cabbage and beets. Say whattttt.

As long as I can slurp some noodles, it doesn’t matter if they are of the vegetable or carb variety. And so therefore, with this dish, my craving for pasta has been satiated. Which means (!!) that spiralizing your noodles is a really great option if you’re, say, going on a cruise in less than a month and have not done anything to get bikini ready. Whoops. Or, if you’re hating your life on a low-carb diet because we are carb-loving soul sisters and you want all the pasta too.

Now, in all fairness, this Zucchini, Squash, and Sweet Potato Carbonara I’m sharing today cannot be considered healthy. Yes, it’s health-IER because I don’t use traditional pasta, but this dish still has eggs and cheese, and lots of it. But, I know you’re creative. You can opt out of the carbonara part and make a sauce that’ll go great with everything, like a simple tomato sauce, or a dreamy pesto. Maybe even a lemon parsley little doozy.

Print Recipe

Zucchini, Squash, and Sweet Potato Carbonara

Yield: 2-4

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This zucchini, yellow squash, and sweet potato carbonara is a hearty and luscious dish, minus the pasta. Veggie noodles, all the way!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste, or 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup baby bella mushrooms, roughly chopped
• About 10 asparagus, root end discarded and the rest chopped
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 large zucchini, spiralized
• 2 medium yellow squash, spiralized
• 1/3 sweet potato, spiralized
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy, deep skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add garlic paste and stir. (If using garlic cloves instead, allow to cook for another minute more.)
2. Add mushrooms and asparagus, allow to cook until vegetables are tender. Add white wine and bring to a small boil.
3. Add zucchini, yellow squash, and sweet potato noodles once wine has been reduced by half. Let the noodles absorb the flavors and saute for another couple of minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add eggs and both cheeses to a bowl along with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
5. Remove noodles from heat and toss with the egg mixture (BEFORE DOING SO, SEE NOTE BELOW). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Depending on the vegetables and how long you allow them to cook, among other things, you may have excess egg mixture. Make sure to add a little at a time so the dish doesn't become watery. Any access carbonara sauce, store in the fridge for a day or two. It's great for frittatas!

Made with inspiration from Piquant, one of my favorite Tampa restaurants!