by Holly
Linguine Carbonara is an easy family favorite version of a classic Spaghetti Carbonara recipe! Tender linguine noodles, ham and peas are tossed in a cheese and egg yolk mixture for an incredibly creamy pasta that everyone raves over!
This delicious meal is perfect for a busy weeknight! Add in a tossed green salad and some garlic bread and you’ve got a homemade meal in under 30 minutes!
Easy Carbonara Sauce
If you’ve never had carbonara before, it’s such a deliciously rich and creamy pasta… and SO easy to make! Typically a traditional spaghetti carbonara contains Italian style bacon such as pancetta however, my kids love it with diced ham… plus it’s the perfect way to use leftover ham!
The best part about this delicious creamy dish is that it’s on the table in less than 20 minutes start to finish. The sauce doesn’t require cooking, just mixing and the heat from the pasta will cook it into an incredible creamy base. I use fresh linguine from the refrigerator case at the store which takes about 3-4 minutes to cook. Talk about easy!
Tips for Linguine Carbonara
- Sauce:
- Have your sauce completely prepared before starting this dish. The pasta has to be hot to cook the egg mixture.
- Don’t cook the sauce or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
- Meat:
- A traditional carbonara uses pancetta or guanciale (pork jowl). Bacon is a great substitute.
- If you’d like to add extra protein, use leftover cooked chicken breasts.
- Parmesan Cheese:
- Freshly grated is best (I use my magic bullet to grate cheese).
- Avoid pre-shredded parmesan, the starches added to keep it from sticking also keep it from melting smoothly.
- Powdered grated parmesan cheese can be used in this recipe.
Serve this easy carbonara with your favorite Easy Italian Salad and some crusty bread with homemade garlic butter for a great meal!
To Reheat: Heat over low heat until warm, you may need to add a splash of milk or cream to keep a creamy consistency.
More Italian Favorites
- Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe – A quick mushroom sauce, great over pasta or Mashed Potatoes.
- Easy Homemade Lasagna – Classic recipe for good reason!
- Baked Spaghetti – Family (and reader) favorite!
- Baked Ziti – Flavorful meat sauce, ricotta cheese and tender pasta.
- Baked Rigatoni Pasta– Make ahead!
Easy Linguine Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh linguine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups ham diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Heat olive oil and cook ham, garlic and onions over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add wine and let reduce until almost evaporated.
- Stir together egg yolks, eggs and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Cook pasta & peas together in a large pot of salted water just until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta ensuring that you reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
- Immediately toss pasta with the egg mixture and ham (you must do this right away to ensure the hot pasta cooks the egg). Add reserved cooking liquid a little at a time to get desired consistency (I usually use about 3/4 cup). Stir in parsley and serve.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
