This spaghetti carbonara recipe is so rich and decadent, yet so easy to make!
Pasta tossed in a delicious and light parmesan sauce with salty pancetta. The heat from the pasta cooks the sauce and creates a quick and creamy dish in no time!
This easy carbonara recipe turns into a restaurant-worthy dish in 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 cooked pork belly, adds a savory flavor to this recipe. If you don’t have pancetta, bacon is used as a substitute. in Italy, guancialewhich is pork jowl or pork cheek, is usually used for pasta carbonara, but it’s hard to find where I live so I use pancetta instead.
cheese: While it is common to use Parmesan cheese in North America, traditionally, Pecorino Romano cheese is used in spaghetti carbonara. Use whatever 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. Traditional carbonara does not contain cream.
pasta: A Long pasta Works well in this recipe; We use spaghetti for the classics spaghetti Carbonara.
This pasta carbonara recipe has a cream sauce with an egg base. The heat from the noodles cooks the eggs.
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature and the whipped cream before cooking the pasta.
- Prepare all the ingredients, the pasta needs to be hot to cook the egg.
- Reserve some of the pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
How to make spaghetti carbonara
- Whipping sauce: Beat eggs, parmesan cheese and black pepper in a bowl and set aside.
- Boil pasta: Cook pasta until al dente. Do not wash the pasta, the starch helps the consistency of the sauce.
- throw together: Quickly add the egg mixture to the hot cooked pasta and mix to combine. The heat from the pasta will thicken the egg. (Add a little pasta water if needed to get the right consistency.)
- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and some chopped parsley for decoration!
Serve it with a fresh Italian salad and homemade garlic bread for a 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 flavors of the eggs, cheese and garlic take center stage and pair with a light, pear or citrus flavored wine.
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Spaghetti carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara features pasta in a wonderfully creamy parmesan sauce with salty pancetta.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan cheese and black pepper. set aside.
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In a large pan, cook the pancetta over medium heat until it is crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add garlic to the pan and cook for a minute.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot with salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Filter well but do not rinse.
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Add the hot drained pasta to the pan with the garlic, and mix to coat.
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Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the egg mixture, mixing well with tongs. If necessary, add reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
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Add the pancetta or bacon and mix until combined. Season with additional salt to taste.
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Serve hot, garnished with parsley or additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before starting.
- This dish comes together quickly. Prepare all the ingredients before starting.
- Cook the pasta until it is ‘al dente’ or firm.
- Do not wash the pasta, the starch helps the sauce stick.
- Add a little pasta water if necessary to create a creamy texture.
Calories: 437 | Carbohydrates: 57G | protein: 20G | Fat: 13G | Saturated fat: 5G | Cholesterol: 102mg | sodium: 395mg | potassium: 241mg | fiber: 2G | Sugar: 2G | vitamin: 250IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | calcium: 227mg | iron: 1.6mg
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary depending on the cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
kitchen American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and images are copyrighted. Sharing this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please see my image usage policy here.
