Pasta Carbonara is a delicious yet surprisingly easy recipe. Made with pancetta (or bacon) and lots of parmesan, this recipe only takes 30 minutes from start to finish!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Spaghetti carbonara. Rich and wonderfully indulgent, Pasta Carbonara takes just as long to make as it does to cook the pasta.
The silky carbonara sauce is created when the beaten eggs are tossed with the hot pasta and a little fat from the pancetta or bacon.
Did I mention enjoyment? Yes, this is not an everyday recipe. This is an I’ve been-eating-my-kale-for-weeks-and-now-I-want-to-splurge-a-recipe.
But heck, if you want to treat yourself, you can do it right with pasta carbonara, too.
Video: How to make Pasta Carbonara
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Pasta Carbonara
The trick to a good carbonara
Quickly stir the egg mixture into the pasta, which should be hot enough to “cook” the egg to make a sauce, but not so hot that it curdles.
Getting carbonara just right can take some practice, so don’t despair if your carbonara sauce is a little clumpy the first time.
Some people add cream to their carbonara. It’s not traditional, but you can certainly do this and make an even creamier sauce for the pasta. Personally I think it’s rich enough even without it. Enjoy!
What is carbonara really?
Carbonara is one of the four classic pastas of Rome (cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia are the others). There are a number of theories about its possible origin, including:
- It was invented by Italians carbonari (coal miners) who prepared the dish on their shovels over a fire.
- The name refers to the ground black pepper in the dish, which resembles charcoal spots (Money means charcoal in Italian).
- It was a marriage of traditions between American soldiers in Italy during World War II and their bacon and egg rations with the local pasta dishes.
What sets carbonara apart from other pasta dishes is the technique of combining eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper into a rich, silky sauce.
This recipe calls for raw eggs that are gently cooked by the hot sauce. If you prefer, you can use pasteurized eggs instead.
Tips for making the best carbonara
The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity, but it may take a little practice to get it just right.
- To prepare: Because this dish comes together so quickly and timing is crucial, make sure you have all your ingredients and equipment ready from the start.
- Temper eggs: Working quickly after the pasta has drained is critical to success. To streamline things, have the beaten eggs ready in a bowl and quickly whisk in a few tablespoons of hot pasta cooking water to temper them. This makes them less likely to curdle when you toss them with the cooked noodles. Then, while the saucepan is still warm, add the pasta and the tempered eggs to the saucepan so the mixture stays warm enough to melt the cheese.
- Use high quality cheese: Put down the processed cheese shaker! It’s important to use real, high-quality Parmesan cheese for this dish. Trust us, this recipe is worth it. If you want to be pampered, why not do it right?
Pancetta vs. Bacon
Traditionally, carbonara is made with guanciale, a heavily spiced cured meat from central Italy made from pork cheeks. While guanciale is available in some specialty markets in the US, pancetta or bacon are much easier to come by. Pancetta and bacon are both made from pork belly, but pancetta is cured in salt and dried while the bacon is smoked. They can usually be used interchangeably, but pancetta naturally has a salty flavor while bacon is smoky.
More delicious pasta recipes to try
- Courgette Pasta Carbonara
- Pasta e fagioli
- Pasta with butternut squash, bacon and brown butter
- Pasta with tuna and arugula
- Weeknight pasta with zucchini, eggplant and peppers
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Pasta Carbonara
This recipe uses raw eggs, which are essentially cooked by tossing them with hot pasta. However, they are not cooked to the point of scrambled eggs, just enough to thicken the eggs into a sauce.
The garlic is optional. It’s not usually found in pasta carbonara, but it tastes great, so we included it. By the way, “guanciale” or pork cheek is traditionally used in this dish, so if you can get it, by all means use it.
ingredients
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1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
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1/2 lb bacon or thick-cut bacon, diced
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1 to 2 garlic cloveschopped, about 1 teaspoon (optional)
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3 to 4 whole eggs
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1 Cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
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1 lb spaghetti (or Bucatini or Fettuccine)
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper taste
method
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Heat pasta water:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 tablespoon of salt per 2 liters of water).
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Fry Pancetta or Bacon and Garlic:
While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon or pancetta and fry slowly until crispy.
Add the garlic (if using) and cook another minute, then turn off the heat and place the pancetta and garlic in a large bowl.
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Beat the eggs and half the cheese:
In a small bowl, beat the eggs and mix in about half the cheese.
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Cook pasta:
Once the water is bubbly, add the dry pasta and cook, uncovered, over simmering heat.
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Toss the pasta with pancetta or bacon:
When the noodles are al dente (still firm, not mushy), use pliers to add to bowl with bacon and garlic. Let it be dripping wet. Reserve some pasta water.
Quickly move the noodles from the pot to the bowl, as you want the noodles to be hot. It’s the heat of the pasta that heats the eggs enough to create a creamy sauce.
To combine, mix everything and allow the noodles to cool just enough so the eggs don’t curdle while mixing. (That’s the hard part.)
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Add the beaten egg mixture:
Add the beaten eggs with cheese and toss quickly to combine again. Add salt to taste. Add some pasta water to the pasta to keep it from drying out.
Serve immediately with the remaining parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley, if you like.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 447 | calories |
| 31g | Fat |
| 25g | carbohydrates |
| 16g | protein |
