This Spaghetti Carbonara recipe is so rich and decadent, yet so incredibly easy to make!
Pasta is tossed in a delicious and easy parmesan sauce with savory pancetta. The heat from the pasta cooks the sauce making for a quick and creamy dish in no time at all!
This easy carbonara recipe makes a restaurant worthy dish in just minutes at home.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti a la Carbonara is one of the easiest recipes to make!
Meat: This carbonara recipe uses pancetta, which is a cured pork belly, adds a salty flavor to this recipe. If you don’t have pancetta, bacon works as a substitute. In Italy, guanciale, which is cured pork jowl or pork cheek, is typically used for pasta carbonara, but it’s hard to find where i live so I use pancetta in place.
Cheese: While it’s common to use Parmesan cheese in North America, traditionally, Pecorino Romano cheese is used in spaghetti carbonara. Use whichever cheese you prefer or have on hand.
Eggs: Eggs are a key ingredient in carbonara, adding a rich and creamy texture to the sauce. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs. A traditional carbonara does not contain cream.
Pasta: A long pasta works well in this recipe; we use spaghetti for a classic spaghetti carbonara.
Tips for a Perfect Carbonara
This pasta carbonara recipe has a creamy sauce with an egg base. The heat from the noodles cooks the eggs.
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature and whisked before cooking the pasta.
- Have all ingredients prepared, the pasta has to be hot to cook the egg.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara
- Whisk Sauce: Whisk eggs, parmesan cheese, & black pepper in a bowl & set aside.
- Boil Pasta: Cook pasta until it is ‘al dente’. Do not rinse the pasta, the starch helps the consistency of the sauce.
- Toss Together: Quickly add the egg mixture to the hot cooked pasta & toss to combine. The heat from the pasta will thicken the egg. (Add a bit of pasta water if needed to get the right consistency.)
- Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little chopped parsley for garnish!
Serve it with a fresh Italian salad and homemade garlic bread for the perfect Italian-inspired meal!
More Italian Inspired Favorites
Wine Pairing: Spaghetti Carbonara is a rich pasta dish so the best wine pairings will always be crisp whites like Pinot Grigios or Gris. Let the full-bodied flavors of the eggs, cheese, and garlic take center stage and pair with a light, pear, or citrus-flavored wine.
Did you enjoy this Spaghetti Carbonara? Be sure to leave a rating or a comment below!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 6 slices pancetta or guanciale or bacon, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese or pecarino ramano, shredded
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain well but do not rinse.
- Add the hot drained pasta to the skillet with the garlic, and toss to coat.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and pour in the egg mixture, mixing well with tongs. If needed, add reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
- Add the pancetta or bacon, and toss until combined. Season with additional salt to taste.
- Serve hot, garnished with parsley or additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature before beginning.
- This dish comes together fast. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
- Cook the pasta until it is ‘al dente’ or firm.
- Do not rinse the pasta, the starch helps the sauce cling.
- Add a bit of pasta water if needed to create a creamy consistency.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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The author writes that a traditional carbonara doesn’t use cream, which is true. It also, traditionally, does not include garlic either. She also calls for spaghetti; in Rome you are more likely to be served rigatoni. Adding peas, frequently seen in the USA, is an abomination.
I made this last night. I made it with bacon. I put 3 cloves of garlic, I should have added 6-8 (we love garlic). I made a mistake and dump all of the pasta water. I added some half and half to get some liquid in it. It was a little dry but otherwise, it was a thumbs up from my family. None was left over. Thank you.
delicious, this is my goto dinner when I want easy and quick
Awesome [email protected]
what do I do with the bacon!!!
Hi Rita, the pancetta or bacon is cooked in step 2 and added to pasta in step 5. I hope this helps!
1st time making this dish so easy as we don’t eat bacon, I substituted it with turkey style bacon. Simple easy dinner severed with a ceaser salad. So delicious my daughter took some for lunch. It will be made again for sure. Thank you
I made this for dinner last night and we all thought it was great. I will most definitely be making it again.
I don’t have bacon or pancetta right now. Can I make this recipe with chicken? I know it’s not the same great flavor but I have bacon grease in the fridge that I could add. —Linda
I have only tried the recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. It will definitely change the flavor but I am sure will still be delicious. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I made it as instructed aside from extra garlic. If I didn’t have bacon and wanted it. I would use the bacon grease to cook the garlic and go from there. My husband always orders chicken carbonara so it is probably a thing. I meant to thaw some shrimp to go with ours but I spaced it. Good Luck
Delicious and soooo easy
It was so easy to make. Since Dontceat meat or dairy, I used vegan bacon and Parmesan. I will definitely make it again.
My one problem was that I wasn’t organized properly. Every thing moves fast, so organization is key.
Minimal prep and delucious. Thanknyou.