Spaghetti carbonara is creamy, delicious, and incredibly easy! Spaghetti alla carbonara combines crispy pancetta, parmesan cheese, and a creamy sauce made from simple ingredients you likely have on hand.

plated Spaghetti Carbonara with parmesan

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Flavor: Creamy and cheesy with crispy, savory pancetta in every bite.
Budget Tip: To keep costs down, swap pancetta for bacon or try Pecorino Romano in place of Parmesan.
Swaps: Fettuccine, linguine, or angel hair pasta can be used instead of spaghetti.
Serving Suggestions: Top with fresh parsley and extra cheese, and serve with a Caesar salad and garlic bread for an easy weeknight meal.

Pantry Staple Ingredients

Meat: In Italy, carbonara is made with guanciale (cured pork cheek), but since it’s hard to find, I use pancetta for that smoky, salty flavor. Swap it for bacon if that’s what you have.
Cheese: Classic carbonara uses Pecorino Romano, but I use Parmesan since I always have it on hand.
Eggs: Eggs make the sauce rich and creamy (without cream!). Make sure they are at room temperature to combine smoothly.
Pasta: Any long pasta, like bucatina or linguine, works well in this recipe; I use spaghetti for a classic carbonara.

If the eggs are cold from the fridge, let them sit in a cup of warm water for 5 minutes before using.
Remove the pan from the heat just before tossing the egg mixture with the hot pasta. While the pasta needs to be hot to cook the egg, if it’s too hot, the sauce will not have a smooth consistency.
Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

4.99 from 500 votes

Author Holly Nilsson

Spaghetti Carbonara

Author Holly Nilsson

Servings 6 servings

Spaghettini carbonara features pasta in a deliciously creamy parmesan sauce with savory pancetta.

Save Rate Print

Servings 6 servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound spaghetti
▢ 6 slices pancetta or guanciale or bacon, chopped
▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
▢ 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese or pecarino ramano
▢ black pepper to taste

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 and toss to combine. Season with additional salt to taste.
Serve hot, garnished with parsley or additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

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.
Carbonara will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Because of the creamy sauce it is not recommended to freeze.

4.99 from 500 votes

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

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