This creamy Carbonara is one of the best pasta dishes, period. It takes just 15 minutes to make and will impress anyone you prepare it for (including yourself). It's rich, creamy, and made with simple ingredients- the perfect weeknight dinner.
Looking for more easy pasta dishes? Try my Fettucine Alfredo or Shrimp Scampi next!
About This Recipe
I am OBSESSED with spaghetti carbonara! The creamy sauce, combined with the salty and rich flavor of cured pork, eggs, and cheese, is irresistible. It's such an easy dish to make at home, and I can't believe people pay their hard-earned money to eat this at restaurants.
The authentic version of carbonara is typically made with guanciale (sometimes pancetta), pecorino romano, eggs, salt, and black pepper. The key to making it is to mix the hot pasta with the egg and cheese mixture off the heat. This way, the heat from the pasta cooks the eggs gently without curdling them.
For my recipe, I like to use bacon instead of guanciale (because guanciale is hard to find unless you go to a specialty Italian deli) and parmesan instead of pecorino romano. I also like to add a touch of heavy cream at the end, which I know angers some people, but I love the taste that it adds.
Key Ingredients
Spaghetti: You will need 1 pound of dried spaghetti. For this recipe, I do not like to salt the cooking water at all. That's because there is already a lot of saltiness from the bacon, parmesan, and eggs. I've salted it in the past, and the final dish has come out way too salty.
Bacon: Any type of bacon will work for this recipe.
Garlic: Freshly minced for the best flavor!
Eggs: The eggs should be mixed with the hot pasta OFF the heat. If you were to add the eggs to a hot pan, they would curdle, and your sauce would not end up creamy.
Parmesan: I used freshly grated parmesan cheese from Costco.
Black pepper: Freshly cracked will taste the best here, obviously.
Optional heavy cream: Carbonara purists hate me for this, but I love to add a couple of spoons of heavy cream. Not only does it round out the saltiness from the bacon and parmesan, but it also makes the sauce even more creamy.
Instructions
STEP 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
STEP 2: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until it's crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
STEP 3: In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, parmesan, and black pepper.
STEP 4: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain.
STEP 5: While the pasta is still hot, add it to the bowl of eggs and quickly toss to combine. Add the bacon, garlic, and optionally heavy cream. Toss until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.
๐ Recipe
Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ยฝ pound bacon (diced into ยฝ-inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (some people like to salt the water, but I prefer not to because the other ingredients are already very salty).
- While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes until crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour into a bowl, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, parmesan, and black pepper.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until slightly softer than al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain.
- Immediately add the hot pasta to the bowl of eggs and toss until combined. Add the bacon, garlic, and heavy cream (optional) and toss again. If the pasta is too thick or sticky, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water to thin it out. Enjoy!
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