Spaghetti Carbonara

Creamy, delicious, and incredibly easy!

Spaghetti carbonara combines crispy pancetta, parmesan cheese, and a creamy sauce made from simple ingredients you likely have on hand.

The sauce is so rich and creamy and this pasta has lots of flavor.
Carbonara is made with pancetta or bacon—and you likely have the rest of the ingredients on hand.
This recipe is quick enough to make for a weeknight meal.
It’s a simple technique that creates a restaurant-worthy dish at home.

Ingredients for Carbonara

Meat: 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 for a smoky salty flavor. If you don’t have pancetta, use bacon in place.

Cheese: While it’s common to use parmesan cheese in North America, traditionally, a spaghetti carbonara recipe is made with pecorino romano cheese. Either works well, I use parmesan as I always have it on hand.

Eggs: Eggs add richness to the sauce and create a creamy (a traditional carbonara sauce does not contain cream). I use whole eggs in this recipe.

Pasta: Any long pasta works well in this recipe; I use spaghetti for a classic spaghetti carbonara.

Spaghetti carbonara with bacon and parsley on top

How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara

Prep 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.
Toss Together: Quickly add the egg mixture to the hot cooked pasta & toss to combine.
Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little chopped parsley for garnish!

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. If it’s too hot, the sauce will not have a smooth consistency.
Remove the pan from the heat just before tossing the egg mixture with the hot pasta.
Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.

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

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

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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.

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

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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