The easiest pasta dish you will ever make with just 5 ingredients in 15 min, loaded with Parmesan and crisp bacon goodness!
I have yet another super easy pasta dish for you all today. And the best part about this dish is that you only need 5 ingredients to whip this up! No wait, the best part is the bacon. Yeah, the bacon.
No, but really, this is one of those dishes that comes together in 15 minutes or less with just 5 ingredients of spaghetti, bacon, garlic, Parmesan and eggs. And if you’re skeptical about the raw eggs, it actually gets cooked through completely from the residual heat. Just be sure to work quickly so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs. Plus, with the crisp bacon bits, you just can’t go wrong with this dish!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Yield: 4 servings
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
The easiest pasta dish you will ever make with just 5 ingredients in 15 minutes, loaded with Parmesan and bacon!
Spaghetti Carbonara
5 minutes15 minutesChungah Rhee
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1/2 cup water and drain well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and Parmesan; set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes; reserve excess fat.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low.
- Working quickly, stir in pasta and egg mixture, and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Servings Per Container 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 374.5
Calories from Fat 133.2
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14.8g
23%
Saturated Fat 5.7g
29%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 108.2mg
36%
Sodium 250.5mg
10%
Total Carbohydrate 44.3g
15%
Dietary Fiber 1.9g
8%
Sugars 1.9g
Protein 15.3g
31%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
I added frozen peas to this but otherwise stuck to the recipe. It was fantastic. Definitely going in the rotation for dinner.
Good recipe, won’t be adding the egg to the pan though as the eggs cooked.
This pasta recipe is absolutely amazing! This is definitely my favourite pasta recipe.
I first had spaghetti carbonara many years ago in Rome (home of carbonara) in a several generations old restaurant across from the Vatican, bypassing all the tourists standing in line at the MacDonalds. They used pancetta, which I do if I have it, but for quick and easy, except for the lack of old Roman atmosphere, this is equally pleasing. I do recommend springing for some very good bacon, and imported Parmigiano reggiano, which by definition, has been aged longer. What makes this especially good is that you stuck to the basic ingredients, as Romans do, allowing the simple flavors to shine.Brava!
Easy and yummy. I added onions, Montreal steak seasoning and pepper. Kids loved it.
Canna different cheese be used, like cheddar?
It was kinda bland. I added more garlic more Italian seasoning more salt and pepper. Added nutmeg and oregano and some red pepper. After that it tasted very good.
Made this for dinner last night and we all loved it. Very easy to make and very tasty.
I have been trying to duplicate my sister’s(she has passed away) recipe for this for so long. It’s a great comfort food for me and reminds me of her. This is the closest I have gotten and it was fabulous just as it is written! Thank you for this recipe!
I’ve been basically doing the same for years my only addition is red pepper flakes when frying bacon. Damn delicious!!!
Absolutely scrumptious.Enjoyed the coating on the pasta….creamy and cheesy!Definitely will stay in rotation at our house ,yum
Easy to prepare. I may have overcooked the bacon, but it was great!
Awesome recipe so darn good!!
Never combine the ingredients in the pan you have had on the burner. The eggs will cook and harden. Place a stainless steel mixing bowl under your colander and let the pasta water heat the bowl. Discard the water and use the heated bowl to combine all ingredients. Toss for at least two minutes.
Not entirely true, you can achieve authentic good carbonara with adding the pecorino and egg cream to spaghetti and guanciale that are sizzling in the pan.
You simply have to turn off the heat *prior* to adding the egg and cheese cream, otherwise you’re likely end up with scrambled eggs
But there’s no need to add extra steps like that, really
I’ve always been afraid to try carbonara because I was sure I’d end up with scrambled eggs, but holy cow was this easy and delicious! I will admit that I cheated though – I was out of bacon, but I had bacon bits (the soft ones, not the little crunchy ones) so I tossed them in some melted butter in lieu of real bacon with the grease. I tempered my egg mixture with a little pasta water and it came out perfect!
My family loves this recipe and it’s so easy!
This was GREAT
a few things I will change but no big deal
Great simple recipe, it came out delicious and will always use this recipe
Delicious! My first time ever making carbonara. I like a lot of sauce so I added an extra egg and an extra 1/4 cup of Parmesan and it was absolutely delicious. Such an easy recipe and tastes just like a proper carbonara. I chose this recipe as it didn’t contain cream.
Nice recipe!
Just a suggestion: can you include metric measurements too for your recipes?
Damn delicious this recipe is quick and awesome and I can’t stop eating !!!!!!!!!
I used a lil pancetta and bacon for some extra taste!!!!!
I’ve been making this recipe for several years and it’s my favorite go-to pasta dish. Incredibly tasty!
Outstanding! I only had this 1 other time and it was prepared by my friend who went to the Culinary Institute of America. Mine was just as good as his and I’m a terrible cook!
So tasty and easy to make!
In the end, it was very good. It was only my 3rd time cooking (I only just started cooking once a week, I’m not even a teenager yet). I didn’t quite get it right because I didn’t work fast enough with the egg, so I put it in the frypan for a while to cook the egg. It tasted amazing and I will definitely make this again one day.
It was the first time cooking it and it was delicious some may like it with some cream but it was lovely
Split household on this recipe. I enjoyed it but my wife wasn’t particularly impressed. I will fix this dish again!
I’ve made pasta carbonara often since visiting Italy but this recipe by far is my favorite! Tonight I’m making it for company along with baby back ribs slow cooked with a dry rub
Tonight I’m adding wild caught prawns and broccoli and doubling the smoked bacon garlic and eggs and grated fresh parm and Romano
Making sure the eggs are at room temperature beforehand will help ensure the eggs don’t curdle
I have made this a couple times and its always so good and easy.
Do you remove the bacon grease or leave it? Reserve excess bacon fat is not clear.
Thanks!
You leave the bacon grease to emulsify with the eggs to create the creaminess.
Delicious! Best carbonara recipe for sure. Will use again. Was cooking for my 5 year old also so I kept the garlic cloves whole and just bruised them so I could take it out.
OMG. This recipe for pasta carbonara is not only super easy to make but oh so delicious!! I used pancetta from Whole Foods & Rummo gluten free pasta from Italy because I’m gluten sensitive & it’s the best. Wow. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Love it with steamed broccoli and an extra egg
Cooked this dish for the first time & it was delicious!
Delicious and simple to make. I double the recipe and 2 adults and 2 toddlers almost ate it all.
I think I will definitely need to double also, with three full grown men plus myself to feed 🙂
Have made other recipes for Pasta Carbonara but this recipe is a keeper. Will definitely make it again.
I added peas and used a combination of bacon and prosciutto.
Thanks for this weeknight Carbonara.
You should replace Bacon by Pancetta if possible, bacon flavour is too strong in my opinion. Pancetta is used in the original recipe.
Question! I see it says reserve the bacon fat but I don’t see where to incorporate it back into the recipe. Should you just reserve the excess fat in a jar in the fridge for another future use? Thanks!
I’m so NOT a cook, and I like making easy dishes that require only a few ingredients. I had bacon that I had to cook before it went bad, so I looked for a bacon pasta dish and came across this one. I love that this recipe doesn’t require special ingredients that one has to go out and buy. I forgot to reserve the pasta water, so the noodles ended up looking browner than I expected and a little chewier (I personally liked it) . BUT in the end, all 3 men asked for seconds and asked me to make it again! NOW that is saying something! Thank you!
I think that the recipe means to pour out of the skillet since you are still using it. Not pouring it out would make the dish too greasy. That’s my take
Easy and delicious!
So delicious – and so easy! Thanks!
Very easy to make so tasty. First time making this dish and I nailed it
Why are all your recipes so perfect?! This was amazing and my whole family gobbled it up. It was super easy to throw together and was the perfect comfort food after a long snow day! Thank you!!
Omg. I have been doing this wrong all along. This is perfect!
The eggs will start to scramble with this method. As an aside, I incorporate peas into this dish and I finish with some red chili flake but I like some heat
Turn the burner off before transferring the pasta then put some of the pasta water in the pan and also add a little to the egg/cheese mixture. Keep stirring the pasta when you dump the mixture in the pan and the eggs wont scramble.
To those worried about scrambling, take off the heat, use some water first, stir quickly as you add the mixture, adding water (you’ll probably need more than a Tablespoon) and they won’t scramble. I have several recipes of Carbonara I’ve acquired since first having it in Rome, but this is the quickest & most fail safe. I used thick apple smoked bacon from our butcher and Italian parsley from my kitchen garden that, fortunately, was blanketed by 12” of snow that saved it from the cold.
I personally found it AMAZING will definitely try again
Damm Delisios plus so easy .
It’s crazy to admit this, but I had never had spaghetti carbonara before!! My boyfriend bought some bacon and said we could make it. So a quick google search led me to this recipe and DAMNNNNNN it was so good! I’ve made it twice this week! So freaking easy
This was incredible and super easy! I doubled the recipe and followed the recipe exactly as written except that I added frozen peas at the same time as the garlic. Will definitely make again.
It was amazing and my family enjoyed it so much
Yes, Yes and Yes…….there is NO cream in Carbonara.
I use smoked speck in place of the bacon ( for the OH…I, myself would like bacon…..lol)
I also make enough for lunch next day, so I reserve much more pasta liquid just to lighten the pasta, as it absorbs most of the moisture overnight. Thank you
Love it so much!!!
This was wonderful! Will make again.
Super easy and yummy! Added peas, shrimp and a little bit of cream, SUPER DELICIOUS!
This is incredibly easy and soooo delicious. Definitely made it into the dinner rotation
had to whip something together with little in the fridge. This was perfect! Damn delicious and devoured. Easiest Carbonara recipe to follow too..
Very good, quick and easy!! I did half whole wheat pasta, which I don’t recommend. Just use the unhealthy stuff ; )
I made the 15 minute carbonara and added shrimp. It was delicious!!! My husband said it is a keeper. Sooo easy and versatile. Thank you.
This worked brilliantly for 2 of us but with gluten- free pasta it all separated 🙁 Apparently the gluten version was very tasty but mine was inedible:(
Hi Vicky,
I do this with gluten free spaghetti and it works fine, as long as I take off the heat before combining. Hope that helps, Kathryn
Use three eggs instead of two.
Easy to make and delicious. Thank you
Just yummy, I used coriander instead of parsley and it tasted awesome
Excellent.
Use it as a standby when everything else too damn difficult.
Very versatile as I tend to include some chopped onions, unused mushrooms and moisten with cream or whatever.
Excellent recipe, thank you.
I just added peas and served with babyspinach
We had a spaghetti carbonara recipe we loved & something happened and the pin went to spam.
Then I found this recipe. We made it for the first time this month and it was quite good. We would recommend cutting the bacon before cooking it. It is just easier and quicker that way.
We paired it with Sautéed Spinach with White Beans & Garlic for a delicious meal.
Very easy and quick, even better it tastes great! I add mushrooms as well. Thank you
Recipe was simple and straightforward made within the 15 ins and its a favorite dish of my kids just decided to see how you made it and was quite happy with recipe
Damn delicious!
I haven’t made this but can you cook it without the bacon?
The fat from the pork is what makes the sauce creamy. If you aren’t a bacon lover, use pancetta instead.
This is delicious! I made it per the original recipe the first time. But I didn’t like the the powdery texture of Parmesan so now I always use 4 oz brie instead. Highly recommend using brie if you like creamy pasta. But delicious either way!
It sounds as though you used desicated parmesan? Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano will be so so much better 🙂
Delicious and easy to make! I’ll be making this again.
It was delicious, I loved it! First time making or eating spagetti carbonara, and I will definitely make this again!
I had just made bacon for our potatoes and my son went and got the noodles… I was like well put it in Google and see what you find.
I had no idea!! This was great… He made us late lunch early dinner tonight. Thank you!
Wow. Really delicious flavours.
I doubled the sauce recipe and added a little cream to the sauce. I added fresh sliced mini tomatos and crushed red pepper at the end. I also used a spiced and smoked bacon from the butcher shop. When the bacon was crispy and I added the garlic (I used smoked crushed garlic) I added the excess fat from the bacon to the noodle water and after the garlic simmered I added the water back to the bacon and garlic and simmered for an additional 5 minutes before I added the egg and cheese mixture and the noodles. This was so packed with flavour. Loved it!
So easy and delicious. Added broccoli into the spaghetti pot for the last 2 minutes because my daughter asked me to. It seemed a bit odd but I went along with it and it was great. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this for dinner last night. It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! I’m a rather picky eater but I decided to try it based on the ingredients. I usually cut recipes by 1/2 because it’s just 2 of us but because it’s the first time I was making it, I followed the recipe exactly. Sure glad I did because we ate all of it. This is now going to be a regular dish from now on. Thanks for sharing it.
I’ve seen many say that pasta carbonara is a difficult dish to get right but this recipe made it so easy! This may be some of the best pasta I’ve ever made/tasted! I definitely highly recommend. Next time I think I’m going to add some peas too.
This pasta recipe is wonderful! I followed it exactly and it ended up being better than I expected! 100% recommend this recipe.
I havent actually made this. I plan to tonight. I noticed it said to reserve the bacon grease but never says anything else about it. When is it added, and how much?
This pasta recipe is wonderful! I followed it exactly and it ended up being better than I expected! 100% recommend this recipe.
I cooked added the pasta in the same pan that I used to cook bacon and garlic so that’s when it was incorporated for me.
I added a little more at the end. Not sure if I was supposed to or if she just meant reserve for other dishes. Either way I put it in the fridge and turned it into a solid. I’m going to keep it for next time we make this. I’m sure next week.
Thanks for sharing this simple recipe. It was so delicious and I’m not even a great cook. Will be making it again today. Will be following more recipes on your website!
Thank you for sharing this delicious, simple, and quick recipe! Every family member mentioned several times how much they liked it. My 3 year old requested that I make it always 🙂 I added in fresh spinach and artichokes for more veggies. I will definitely make this again!
Just perfect! The genius of carbonara lies in the simplicity of ingredients and ease of preparation. And, honestly, is there a better comfort food? Thank you for sharing!
This was scrumptious!! The first time i have ever made it…got Raves!!
I just got finished making this dish and Boy, was it a Great BIG HIT with my family & friends! I followed this Wonderful recipe to the letter except after I prepared bacon & garlic I added about 2 Tablespoons of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to kick it up a notch and the spice sure did the trick! Thank You for Sharing!!!
Wishing All Many Blessings & Good Health!
Easy and very tasty! My family was impressed that such a simple recipe could be so good! I followed recipe exactly. 15 minutes! My eggs did scramble a tiny bit… so I stirred very quickly and it looked a little like yellow parmesan… but we all loved it! I will be making again!
Great!!Classic I up’d the cloves of garlic to 6couple and 6 slices of bacon but this is great base.
Super delicious and super easy!! I used about 12 oz of pasta instead and doubled the bacon, hehe, but youll need to take away more of the bacon fat. I also saved an extra half cup of pasta water just in case, due to the increase in pasta. Thank you!!
I’ve never made Carbonara before, but I’m certain it will be fabulous like all of your other recipes. Does the reserved bacon grease get added back? I’m always try to force my family to eat their veggies. Would adding sautéed peppers, mushrooms or onions mess up the sauce?
I made it with vegan bacon and cheese and gluten free pasta and it sucked. JK, nice, if non-traditional dish.
Delicious! Super fast and easy! We added an extra egg. We all loved it!
Single dad, Kids and I loved it! Easy and very delicious! Thank you!
I stumbled upon this recipe after a long day and a quick Google search. Twenty minutes later, my three little guys are sitting down to a hot meal and LOVING every bite! I didn’t have fresh parmesan cheese, but even with the grated from a jar this was just delicious. Quick, easy, tasty, and filling! I will add a bit more bacon next time. Adding this to my recipe book for sure!
Loved this! I have never made it before and my family really enjoyed it. I need more protein so added some shrimp (cooked it in the bacon fat, yum) on top of the spaghetti.
I made this with turkey bacon and it was fabulous. It was really quick to make and my family loved it!
I always add onion. I really love this dish . Its quick and easy after a long day at work.and is filling.
Made this for the first time. I had all the ingredients. my kids asked for fourth helpings. Simple and easy. Will make again.
Recipe is so simple, my teenage son and I cooked it together and didn’t change the recipe. We both had extra servings because pasta was so good. Son even helped clean up and thanked me for the yummy dinner. What is happening…
Excellent and Easy to make! I thought I would need cream and lots of butter to make the creamy sauce, but the egg and cheese make the velvet texture. I’ve made this a few time an alter what I add in this time I added some fresh spinach and some frozen petite peas Delicious!
Very good!
don’t know if it’s just me but NOT ENOUGH EGGS :(((
Simple to make ( even for a bachelor) and fantastic to taste!
Loved it could of late it 10 times over !
Have made this several times and it is delicious and satisfying. I serve it with a green vegetables. Simple to fix if you prepare the ingredients before you start. I highly recommend it.
So good! New family favorite, thanks 🙂
Used ricotta instead of parm and added peas. It was a big hit.
Great flavor! Had a hard time mixing my pasta, egg mixture and meat. Pasta stuck together. But I used Buitous fresh linguine. Added chicken and mushrooms with my bacon .
Can I use mozarella cheese instead of parmesan?
It’s simply just food, you can do whatever your taste buds desire and don’t be scared to try something different….what is the worst that can happen ??? You’ll go back and try again next time!
Fantastic recipe – very quick and simple and yet so delicious!
Family had 2-3 helpings so a real winner with everyone.
This is a great recipe. Used pancetta instead of bacon but other than that followed the recipe. Thanks much! Will definitely be saving this recipe! Next time I think we might add shrimp…
I mean Delish Lol.
Very Relish! Going In My Recipe Book. I hope I remember to make this again! thank You So Much For Sharing This Recipe!
Excellent! So easy to make. I actually added an extra egg, and parsley!
No leftovers & I can’t wait to make it again! Such a satisfying dish and really easy to bring together.
Simple and perfect
Very nice. Super easy and would make again. I used 2 very late homegrown garlic cloves and 10 rashes of streaky bacon. I didn’t drain off the bacon fat and it really added to the flavour. Nom nom
Made this first time last night for dinner. Super easy
and delicious. Will make this again,
I loved the recipe. Only I baked my bacon first to reduce the grease. I cooked mushrooms with the garlic and then added everything together. It was delicious! Thank you!
Not bad it too much fat from the bacon and next time I’d omit the garlic.
Very nice! Thank you for sharing the recipe. – I am not usually a Pasta person, but I ate this like there was “No Tomorrow” 😀 — I had to add three eggs for the amount of Pasta I had to cook for my family, I was great. – Also I cooked the Bacon (had no pancetta) with the Garlic (just before the Bacon was ready) and YUM! it gave it a much more Garlicky Taste. 🙂 We are Garlic lovers around here. 😉 — Once again, Thank YOU and God bless.
It was amazingggg! I added 2 extra eggs, sausage, and shrimp to mines and it was delicious!!
Delicious. I only had linguine in my cupboard, and I added some peas, just because I like peas and it added a veggie to my meal. The recipe is perfect, though. I chose to add the bacon grease. The recipe says to “reserve excess fat”, like we would use it later… but I didn’t see where to add it later, so I added it. I figured I usually add olive oil, and this recipe didn’t call for any, so I used the bacon grease instead. It would have been good without, too. I cooked the bacon while the pasta was cooking, then put the bacon pieces on a paper towel and cooked the garlic in the bacon grease, just as the pasta was finishing. I drained the pasta and put it right back in the pot that I cooked it in and added the egg/cheese mixture with NO heat from the burner, just the head of the pot and the pasta. The egg did not scramble. Mixed in everything else and served. Mmmmmmm… I’ll be making again. Thank you for the recipe!
I have a question not really a review.. this probably is super naive but do you drain the bacon grease before continuing with the rest of the recipe? I’ve made a different version of this before and it tasted like our pasta was swimming in bacon grease and made a bad carbonara impression.. probably the cook’s fault HAHA. But just curious if that was what you meant by reserve the bacon fat?
Hi There is a video on her site I noticed as I was reading the recipe. Im gonna attempt to make it tonight but Im planning on draining it. Her videos are super helpful as they show exactly how, plus for me Id rather watch how its done vs read a recipe And its therapeutic for me lol
Just made this and….WOW! I was a bit wary at first since it’s SO SIMPLE, but it ended up tasting CRAZY DELICIOUS! We just went to Italy last Fall and it just transported us back! It tastes so authentic and pure the way it just presents this symphony of flavors.
Some tips that really took it to another level for us:
1. Use good, thick-cut bacon as this made it taste more like pancetta.
2. Use artisanal, bronze-die pasta. We used Morelli, which tastes delicious on its own. This helps the sauce stick to the pasta better and because carbonara in general is very simple (just 5-6 ingredients in this recipe), it’s best to use good pasta.
3. Salt the water with a LOT of salt — enough to make it taste like seawater. The salt infuses into the pasta, so it adds more flavor when you put it all together in the pan.
4. Add the pasta before the egg mix and then turn off the stove. This way when you add the eggs, they won’t scramble as much.
Overall, the perfect, easy, simple recipe — we made it in 20-25 min for real!
Thank you Chungah for this incredible, elegant recipe!
Hi, Phil from Bulgaria and that recipe is the dogs nuts! I even tried changing the parsley with fresh coriander and wow it blew us away, you guys stay safe and well!
Ill try this athome looks yummy
It was delicious! Can definitely recommend this recipe.
This is the tastiest Carbonara recipe I have eaten. It is quick and easy. As I live in the country and didn’t have any bacon I substituted the bacon with some ham off the bone and salami. The fresh garlic was a wonderful addition to the average Carbonara.
can we use mozzarella instead?
I used a mozzarella / provolone mix instead of parmesan bc it’s all I had and it came out delicious !
Per request from my son; he wanted Spaghetti Carbonara for his birthday dinner. I found this recipe, it
turned out perfectly, he loved it! Was great, I had never had it before & will certainly make it again.
Looks classy and a pleasant change from regular spaghetti sauce!
I made this and it was simple and delicious. You know how people often say they changed this or that in the recipe? I followed it to the letter and it was as pleasing as lunch in Tuscany last year.
Looks great
going to try it tonight while we’re on lockdown.
I read somewhere that I should only use egg yolks? Do you subscribe to this version?
I’m doing the same thing! Comfort food! Stay safe
It looks tasty…aside from the parmesan cheese. Could I substitute the cheese??? I would really like to try this ..
The perfect simple carbonara recipe. The only thing I changed is that I sautéed onion with the bacon. Delicious.
Seriously, it’s been quite a while since I felt that urge to make or bake something fantastic. I do have cravings and I do cook (sometimes) but they’re just nothing special. Hopefully, as spring rolls in, inspiration will too!
I love it…the kids love it. So easy, so yummy!
This was easy and quick and delicious….instead of parsley which I didn’t have I ripped a couple leaves of basil into it for color and a fragrance; was good. I did use pasteurized eggs, just to be safe. If you don’t have pasteurized eggs but have a sous vide machine, you can make your own by sous vide’ing the raw eggs at 131 degrees for 40 minutes.
This is one of my families favorite pasta meals. My very picky 3 year old even loves it. We will definitely be adding this recipe to our dinner rotation.
Hello, question: if I use 1lb of spaghetti, do I double all the other ingredients? Thank you! I love it recipes and site
This was so easy and delicious! My partner is pretty fussy and he really enjoyed it!
Will definitely be making this again!
Absolutely delicious, 1st attempt slightly scrambled but not noticed by family. Teenage son woofed it down and the commented that good food should be easy to eat and tastes nice, then thank me for a lovely meal. Win win I’d say
Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe! It was quick, easy, and super delicious! I’ve made this dish several times now and everyone in my family loved it. My mother-in-law even said it’s better than the ones in the restaurants 🙂
This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you again for sharing many of your delicious recipes!
very tasty and easy, all i will do next time is add mushrooms
I will be trying this tomorrow. Instead of Pork bacon, can I use Turkey bacon?
Sure! 🙂
Really simple to put together and very tasty!
Excellent recipe! I’ve worked with a 5 Star Italian chef, but forgot how to make it!
I have a family of 5 (3 are hardcore core male athletes, so I had to make more for these “pigs”). I recommend to keeping more pasta water (I ran out & had to use tap H20). I had to added a splash of creamer (half n half) for extra consistency. I used this recipe a month ago & found it again. It’s awesome! Thank you again
Kerri Moltzon – Raleigh, NC
Perfectly filling and tasty, done in 20 mins. Good quick meal for 2 of us using my free range eggs
Absolutely delicious.
Quite easy and it was great
Just made this recipe for the first time and we loved it. It will definitely be one of my go-to recipes from now on. Love the fact that it only takes 15-20 mins. and 5 ingredients! Thanks
Very simple dish to cook. Had this the first time at my friend’s house on vacation. Her mother in law had cooked it and it was so delicious that I was hooked on it. I also love pasta at that or any Italian dish.
I’m not the best cook. This was easy & came out delicious. I used all the bacon grease with my garlic. I used 3 eggs instead of 2 & mixed the parmesan & eggs together first. I added the pasta to the pan that had my garlic & chopped bacon, added 3 tbsp of my pasta water & very quickly added the egg mixture. I also added fresh peas after the egg mixture! Topped with cracked black pepper.
I served it with a side of crusty bread. It was perfect! This is so easy & a keeper!
It’s soooo good! I didn’t even h e to go to the store to make it. I use daily what I had. (Which oddly enough it was the ingredients listed).
I just had a question. Do the eggs cook? Like since it’s just mixed in at the end.
Hi Carla! If you’re skeptical about the raw eggs, it actually gets cooked through completely from the residual heat. Just be sure to work quickly so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs. 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe! I struggle with it once in a while and can never find the same one when I look it up online. I’m saving this one. In one of the other recipes I stumbled upon, they added 3 eggs, so I did that this time and it came out better than ever! Thanks!
Easy recipe to follow. Tasted delicious. Will add sautéed onion and some peas next time.
Im going to make this today but after you cook the bacon and cook garlic in bacon grease do you than drain grease or do you stir with spaghetti?
You do not have to drain the excess fat.
I love this! It is one of my husbands favorites. I like to have some sautéed zucchini and squash on the side with it. Sometimes I cut up some fresh tomato in my serving to add some more veggies. I have been coming back to this one off and on for a while. Thank you!
Overall a good recipe
I had a craving for buttered pasta with garlic and decided to take it a step further. Having never made spaghetti carbonara before, this recipe seemed easy enough. I read some of the reviews before I started cooking and found some of the advice useful. I added a few Tbsp of the pasta water to the egg and Parmesan mix to avoid getting scrambled eggs when I added them to the hot skillet. I also put the pasta in first and tossed it with the bacon and garlic before adding the egg and Parmesan. With all that being said, I was delighted with how this recipe turned out and will certainly be making this dish in the future. I might add some sliced cherry tomatoes for a little contrast to the garlic and bacon.
Yummmoooooooo!
Made it 2nite. Damn good. We’ve now blown it lol
Love this and it’s so easy!
This came up when I searched for an easy dinner to make for my family. I had all the ingredients on hand, except I had to use dried parsley. I read the reviews beforehand (took advise with eggs) followed receipe (just doubled it) and it was just as I hoped, delicious! Myfamily enjoyed it. Looking forward to trying the alfredo tortellini recipe next. Thank you!
Super yummy! My whole family loved it!
Hey,
Better to mix the parmesan cheese with the eggs in a bowl.
Separately, bake the meat with Garlic.
Pasta in the water.
When it’s all done, you mix it all together in the pan where you cooked the pasta (minus the water of course now)
Wait a little bit, making sure that the pot isn’t too hot. Scrambled eggs need to be avoided.
I’m mentioning this because the video is slightly misleading, in that throwing the egg/cheese mixture in the pan will lead to instant scrambled eggs. Also the water isn’t needed in my technique.
Side note: little bit of Nutmeg can be very nice, in the parma egg mixture.
Good luck
Just made this for dinner and it was great! I did temper the egg/cheese mixture with some pasta water and it was very easy to toss in the pasta without it getting scrambled. I also used Trader Joes grated cheese which has more of a powder like substance. It did not get gummy and I think it mixed it perfectly. I also did the sauce in my electric skillet so the bacon wouldn’t make a huge mess over the stove. Overall, the pasta had a smoky background note due to the bacon. I would definitely make this again and would like to use pancetta next time for comparison. I have always wanted to try carbonara at home and the video gave me the courage to give it finally make it. Thank you!
Super great!!
Great recipe, I make carbonara a few times a year but I only use 1 egg. Most recipes use too many eggs and some use cream? cream? Thanks for posting this recipe.
t.r.
Made pasta carbonara last night, soo o delicious and easy. Will make again.
I was SO excited to make this dish and I REALLY wanted to like it. Really! But it wasn’t to be . . .
1. It took a lot longer than 5 minutes to prep.
2. It took a lot longer than 6-8 min to cook and crisp the bacon.
3. “Reserve the excess fat” means to cook the bacon and set the fat aside. (Looking at the comments after I’d made this dish showed that I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t sure what to do with the leftover fat.)
4. I had to add WAY more than a few tbsp. of the pasta water in order to reach a “dry consistency.”
5. But, using the pasta water only diluted the flavour of this dish. Using cream would have been much better.
The end result? Way too much work for a dry, pasta dish that lacked flavour.
Oh yum! Even my husband liked it and he hates everything new.
When you say to reserve the excess fat from the bacon, do you mean leave it in the pan to cook with?
Yes, that is correct.
So good! This will definitely go into my monthly rotation of dinners! You can easily add in spinach or asparagus.
Great idea for additions.
What do I do with the “reserved” grease?
It remains in the pan – it’s the grease for your garlic, infusing the carbonara dish with bacon fat! 🙂
Thanks for this spaghetti carbonara recipe, it’s so easy nutritious and saves alot of time in preparation keep up the good work
It’s one of our all-time favorites. Glad you found it!
I love this!! Made it many times. I just wish it could be made ahead someway!
This was so delicious – my husband wanted it twice in 1 week!!! Second time I forgot the parsley – won’t do that again. It makes a huge difference. So Yummy!!!! Many thanks
Awesome Jo Ann! Thanks for sharing.
I made this tonight, but sadly I burned the bacon. I could tell the flavor was great, but the bacon set it back. Next time I might bake the bacon in the oven and then chop it up. Also, love the idea of pancetta from other reviews, pre-chopped would have been dreamy. We added a Tb of butter. Will make again.
Oh that’s too bad! Glad you still liked it, but yeah, the burned bacon will override the other flavors. Better luck next time! Thanks for sharing 🙂
To.die.for. Added more bacon because…bacon. Also added a bit of cream which I know you technically aren’t supposed to have in carbonara, but if I’m making a cheat meal I’m going big! I very nearly had scrambled eggs on pasta (even after leaving the eggs out for 30mins prior), but the pasta water saved me at the last second. I would recommend tempering even more than I did and completely removing the pan for heat when mixing the egg in. And I don’t think I reserved enough of the pasta water (it was surprisingly thick), so mental note for next time.
Oh my goodness, this was an absolutely amazing recipe!!! We added peas to ours at the end. It turned out so delicious that my son was half way done with his plate by the time I served myself and sat down lol
This will definitely be on our weekday dinner list, thank you!!!!
I had this dish in Rome, Italy a few months ago. That’s when I got SO hooked on it. However, they served it with a RAW egg yoke right in the middle of the fresh steamy pasta and it was very pepper-y. My husband nearly freaked out. LOL You just have to immediately stir the yolk into the hot pasta. The restaurant made their pasta fresh everyday. I asked how they made the Carbonara and was surprised that they actually told me. I make it every few weeks now and everyone I serve it to, loves it! My recipe is very much like this one but sometimes I change up the herbs and spice it up a bit. Yes, they do use pancetta for this dish in Italy, they stir the beaten eggs and cheese together to combine, then take the pan OFF the stove when they add the egg mixture in. I’ve never had a problem with the eggs scrambling if you stir them in vigorously and add a little pasta water to make the sauce more “saucy”. We LOVE this dish!!!
Added peas tomatoes green onion and served over a bed of arugula. Awesome sauce! Thank you!
Why would anyone, YES ANYONE, want to make spaghetti carbonara without bacon? This would be an absolute sin in the bible cook book.
Could you tell me please which of the 8 ingredients are the five
Salt, pepper and parsley (used as a garnish) are not included in the five ingredients. Does that make sense?
Great answer. Makes perfect sense to me.
Made this tonight! So quick, easy and delicious!! Thanks for sharing! Also the comments were spot on with tempering the eggs first which I did and had no issues! 🙂
This was amazing! Big hit with the kids!
Haha this is exactly how I learned to cook it in Italy! Only we used pancetta instead of bacon (but either are delish) and pulled the pan off the fire before we added the egg/cheese mixture.
If you grate a bit of fresh nutmeg over after plating it will give the flavor profile a third dimension that’s amazing.
Look very tasty. Thanks!
Very nicely done, one of my favourite dishes for sure (:
So reserved bacon fat not used in recipe? Saved for later
It is used for step #4 for the garlic.
This recipie is super easy and it was so delicious!
This might be a silly question but can I do this without the egg? My husband cannot eat eggs. Thank you!
Believe it or not, the egg is actually a crucial element to this dish! You can certainly omit but the flavors/consistency of the dish may be completely altered. As always, please use your best judgement regarding substitutions and modifications.
Made this for the first time tonight and it was perfect! Very yummy, will definately do it again.
Here is my recommendation to keep the eggs from scrambling:
Once the pasta is done, place it into a large mixing bowl. Then, add the bacon/ garlic once cooked. After that’s all stirred together, you add the egg mixture.
The eggs will still cook from the residual heat, but aren’t less likely to scramble up since there’s not a direct heat source.
This was insanely easy. Tasted creamy and delicious. I used a whole box of thin spaghetti and added one additional egg and total 3/4c parm. Even used someone’s tip to temper egg mixture w a little drizzle of pasta water. Used a very large bowl. Put in bacon and garlic. Once pasta was done used tongs to transfer to bowl. Added egg parm mixture. Everyone loves it!
This is NOT how you make a carbonara!
At least here in Italy the only things to use are:
Spaghetti
Pancetta or guanciale (please, not bacon!)
Eggs (raw! they should be like a cream)
Pepper (a lot of pepper)
Pecorino (Grana is commonly used)
There is absolutely NO way that parsley is used in this dish
Grazie per portare avanti la battaglia!
I will try it your way one night too 🙂
I loved it despite my eggs scrambling throughout. I didn’t think to look at the comments, so next time I will leave the eggs out a while and/or remove the pan from the stove before mixing them in. Otherwise, I thought it tasted great. I would even like to add more bacon, as there definitely wasn’t enough throughout the dish. When it comes to bacon, more is more! 🙂 Thanks for an relatively easy, weeknight meal I can add to my previously humdrum rotation!
Hi! I love this recipe! My picky 5 year old loves it too and it’s so easy! Thank you so much!
New blogger here, what plugin do you use for your images? They’re so big and beautiful! Love your site!
I’m actually not using a plugin! 🙂
I first saw this on a TV series “Criminal Minds” and had to look it up as it looked pretty yummy. Your pics grabbed me and when I realized how simple…I was smitten. So glad I read the comments because I had no idea about the tempering of eggs. Because I had no fresh parsley I added fresh basil. One last change was a splash of white wine. Just couldn’t help myself–I’m American (wink). Was pretty darn good. So glad I found your site and look forward to tying another delicious dish.
Hi,
may I suggest you to try the original pasta alla carbonara?
No garlic and no parsley, just like we Romans use to make it 🙂
http://www.lacuochinasopraffina.com/en/pasta-and-rice/the-authentic-italian-pasta-alla-carbonara/12427
Aaaahhhh…. Thank you!
Tried this tonight – dear Lord is it tasty! My fiancé scarfed down a bowl and declared it a “keeper.” So easy, so good! Thanks for the recipe.
I have made this 3 times now and it is always a hit for everyone. I have to double it so everyone can have seconds. I have never had my eggs scramble. Tonight I am trying it with spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Thank you for a simple delicious meal. I have tried 2 other carbonara recipes and and they were not as amazingly delicious as this one.
I lived in Italy for two years, this is a very traditional Italian dish, one of the first I learned while living there. The recipe you have here and the process you make it is exactly how they do, very authentic! Pasta all Carbonara, che buona!
**Pasta alla Carbonara (sorry auto correct)
I’m sorry, but this is a simil-carbonara recipe.
Yes, it’s a nice and good recipe (the better recipe i ever seen out of Italy), but we, in Italy, don’t use garlic.
Only pasta (spaghetti or maccheroni), eggs, guanciale (like bacon from head of pig) and pecorino romano (or parmigiano reggiano, not parmesan).
No other ingredients.
Bye
Yum! I’ve made this twice in as many weeks. I followed the suggestion to temper the eggs and it worked perfectly. I whisked in about a 1/4 cup of the pasta water with the eggs and parm, then added the other 1/4 cup to the entire dish. Amazing. Lots of black pepper is key. Do you remove the bacon before adding the garlic? I did both times, but now am wondering if that extra step is necessary.
I did not remove the bacon from the pan – there’s no need to! 🙂
Here’s the thing… my pan was too hot so I burnt the bacon, the garlic, and I’m sure you can imagine what happened when I added the egg/parmesan mixture… it was a mess. I’ve never cooked anything that looked so much like puke before… but I ate it. And it was amazing. So much yum! Thank you so much for the recipe! I didn’t have to add salt because the bacon and parmesan is salty as it, but I can’t wait to nail this recipe next time 🙂 it is simple and cost efficient.
Made this for tea tonight it worked perfectly! Definitely pinning this in the recipe success folder. My amazingly fussy sister ate it all with zero complaints…well, except that there were no left overs that is!
Quick, easy and tasty! Mine didn’t look as pretty as yours but it tasted wonderful and is a great weeknight dinner.
I added extra bacon and lots of pepper!
Thank you so much for this recipe.
well, there are some little imperfection (no garlic at all, and the parmesan+egg need A LOT of pepper), but i think that this is the most italian “foreign carbonara” that i have seen on the internet: well done!
Have you ever tried to use the egg yolk only instead of the whole egg? This is the way Carbonara is made here in Europe.
I actually haven’t!
Try it 🙂
I believe it makes a significant difference.
Greetings from Switzerland!
Amazing dish ! Followed all the directions , and tempered the egg dish before adding it to the pan! Perfect taste
You can add some chili flakes to kick it up a notch.
I don’t know what some of those mistakes, I mean gibberish words were in that post so please excuse that! I can really spell and write at the same time just maybe not always at the same time??? LOL
Tracey
Hi. damn-D!
Long time lurker first time poster! Pics are exquisite…as well as recipes. I make my Carbonara just like you (great minds and you know how the lines go haha).
Have question for ya before I proceed with said adventure. I always make just enough of the dish so all I have are a clean pan and dishes that looked like the Chinese Crested licked them clean. And oh, trust me he has! IF I wanted to make an extra serving for lunch the next day what would be the best way to reheat this? Possibly use just a tad of cream, maybe a little more bacon grease and a touch of butter with more cheese *gasp* HA?! :D. Any suggestions? I’ve just never had any left TO reheat and always thought of this recipe as a eat it hot, fast and NOW! I don’t even like to serve anything else with it so I can have JUST this. Okay, the fam likes a crusty bread with this. More for me HA you lld itsor eayloose. Serious any suggestions welcomed.
(I promise I’m not a stalker LOL just a 50 year old Italian who wants to continue to make simple fresh ingredient meals for my family like my grandparents
before me). It does seem the simpler and freshest ingredients win out hands down ALWAYS! 🙂
Yourbff in pasta hehe,
Tracey
Yes, all that sounds perfect, Tracey – a tad of cream, bacon and butter – what more do you need? 🙂
I was going to make a plain old pasta dish for dinner but this… I have to make this!!!
Let me just say I have never had this before, I came across this from Pinterest and let me tell you…. It does not disappoint!!!! I doubled the recipe because I have a large family and I added four cheese Italian sausage to make it a comple meal! I also used shredded Parmesan instead of grated!!! Ohhhh this will be on a regular rotation in my house!!!!
ohmygosh i love your blog! so easy and no fancy-shmancy 🙂 thanks for this!
Recipe says to save excess bacon grease. Is it to be used later in the recipe?
Yes, you are reserving the excess fat in the pan and then adding the garlic.
Made this tonight. It was fantastic! I added a pepper and Zucchini for some veggies(finely chopped). I did no temper my eggs and I did not have scrambled eggs. As you said, work fast on low heat and it worked like a charm. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for the lovely recipe which I used twice. I would probably just throw the pasta in with the cooked bacon/garlic and mix it and then take it off the heat and throw in the egg-parmasen and mix aggressively. Otherwise the eggs risk getting scrambled. Also not a big fan of the pasta water for this recipe as the semi dry sticky texture is quite nice.
Love this recipe but I can’t find nutrition information for this recipe. Does anyone have it to share?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
This recipe is really delicious. As someone who was not familiar with carbonara before making this, I really enjoyed it. However, you basically should just throw any leftovers away as it just does not taste right reheated (and I’m not picky about things like that). If you plan on having any leftovers or feeding a crowd, I’d definitely recommend going the cream route even if it’s not traditional.
Honestly both versions are very good. I would say the egg version is more silken than creamy and there is a definite egg taste that combines very well with the bacon. You miss this in the cream version, but you can also reheat it and it is less finicky.
When doubling pasta do I double all ingredients?
Yes.
This sounds delicious and so simple. Trying it out for tonights dinner!
Making this for the second time. I love love love love love love love it. I feel like I finally learned how to make the pasta be like I’ve always wanted it. Thank you! Big fan of your site. Use it weekly 🙂
This recipe does not work at all, I’m sorry to say. I brought the eggs to room temperature before cracking them and in the end, it still amounted to a scrambled egg dish with bacon and pasta. It’s tasty (thanks to the bacon), but the consistency is all wrong, and it would have been too dry without some sort of cream. I’m afraid it’s not a keeper for me.
Jenn, if the eggs are scrambling, then your heat source is set too high. It’s the eggs that creates that amazing light coating on the pasta – cream just isn’t needed here when this is cooked properly. I really hope you get a chance to try this again! 🙂
This looks wonderful — thanks for posting it. I may make this for lunch today.
One question: why is there a youtube window in the Print setup for this? It won’t close, and makes the recipe split oddly between two pages when printing.
Hmmmmm, weird. I’m not seeing any kind of YouTube window on my end.
Add some Shallots. Trust me. It will taste even better (if that’s possible)!
Hey, I just wanted to say how much I love it here. Your recipes are ALWAYS great and just what I’m looking for. Easy, delicious and made with fresh ingredients. I often share, Pin and link your blog up from my blog. It’s one of those places that never disappoint. THANKS!
I made this last night for the husband and the kids, and everyone loved it! I made the recipe a little bigger because my family is large. Everything turned out well! Next time, I will probably do a little more bacon (we love bacon) and maybe use a little bit of cream or a slight bit of sun dried tomato / alfredo sauce. Not a lot, just to add a little more moisture. Mine was a tad dry, but I am not super skilled in the kitchen,either, so its probably something I did wrong. Still tasted WONDERFUL! Thanks for sharing, this is now on my list of regular meals to cook 🙂
This was quick, easy and delicious! My family though a professional chef had taken over our kitchen.
Just made this for dinner! Delish!! Thanks!
Loved this! I had all of the ingredients at home already! Super easy and tasty. I do live in Switzerland now, and I tried a carbonara in Bern that had pumpkin in it. Was DELICIOUS for fall flavors. Went well with the bacon!
I made this last night!! It’s a new family favorite!! Delicious and SUPER easy!!
Does this travel well?
This is really best when served immediately.
Looks so simple and good, carbonara made the authentic style, thanks for sharing!
YUMMY! I made this and my husband and I LOVED it! I did not make any substitutions but we always cook up our bacon and freeze it and the fat so I had to guess the amount of reserved fat to use. I must have guessed correctly because my husband couldn’t stop raving about it 🙂 I just recently found your site so I am late to the party but looking forward to trying all your delicious looking recipes!! THANK YOU!
I can’t wait to try this; looks delicious
I made this last night and just as promised, it was SO easy. I followed other comments and added some pasta water to the eggs first, as I was very worried about them scrambling – I’ve had a bad experience in the past – but I needn’t have worried, it came out perfectly. My husband isn’t a carbonara lover because cream is usually involved (which is also why I don’t usually make it), but he was absolutely raving about this. Thank you!
I make this dish regularly and never use eggs! Instead I use fresh cream along with scallion or onion, mushrooms and garlic. Its so tasty 🙂
Oh. My. Word.
This is awesome ! I made it today for a quick lunch after church – My husband LOVED it ! I have used a similar Martha Stewart recipe for years , which substitutes bacon with broccoli. This is SOOOO easy and great ! Thank you ! I am so thankful for finding your blog !!!
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! I added onions and serrano peppers for flavor and spice. Will definitely make this again <3 THANKS FOR THE AMAZING RECIPE.
I just made this and I cannot believe how easy it is andado good! I’m a bad cook so I also don’t believe I made something delicious!! (And did not have scramble eggs
has anyone tried it without the eggs? My son cant have eggs, is there anything else that can be used instead??
Try 1/2 cup fat free half and half instead? Just going off another recipe I have that uses peas and thyme but no egg. My daughter is anaphylactic to eggs, so I’m trying this tonight without eggs!
“Fat-free” half & half? Must be something highly processed. Real half & half has cream in it. Either is probably high in carbs (sugar) & real heavy cream is much better/healthier.
Made this for dinner, amazing, simple + easy. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi! all your recipes look delicious! (great pics too btw). I am going to try quite a few of them or maybe most of them!
Iove the recipes and photos thank-you. I plan on trying the carbonara tonight. I do have one other question? I’m looking for someone to shoot food photos. Is this something you do or do you use someone else to take them? Very interested in any help .
Thanks
Ben
All the photography here is shot by me.
This was a great recipe. It came out just perfect. I look forward to following some other recipes as well.
hi, don’t you need cream for this recipe? 🙂
Nope, no cream needed here.
Just made this for dinner and it was delicious – the best carbonara recipe I’ve tried by far! I added some chicken (just because I had it ready to use in something) and it all came together perfectly 🙂
Just wanted to say ever since I made your Southwestern Quinoa Bake, I whole-heartedly trust all your recipes to be delicious and have cooked a few now. I made this as my lunch for the week and it’s so good! I think I let too much time in between tempering the eggs & finally adding it into the skillet with the pasta, so I had teeny bits of the egg cooking, but it tasted great anyways!
I subbed whole wheat spaghetti instead, threw in 3/4 c. of frozen peas that I blanched in the pasta water, and scooped out most of the bacon grease so it was a thin coat! Thank you Chungah!!!
This is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever made. It was so easy and I can’t wait to make it again! Absolutely delicious. I didn’t have any problems with the eggs scrambling like some have experienced when making this.
measurements need too double this recipe?
Emma, if you want to double the recipe, you can multiply all measurements by 2.
I have to admit I was skeptical about the eggs but this was fabulous!! I added other veggies we had in hand and serves with a salad. The sauce was rich and so yummy. Thanks for another great recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!! The kids even loved it. It was quick and easy to make and I always have the ingredients on hand so it’s an easy go to meal.
BIG SUCCESS! This evening I made this recipe according to your guidelines, and it was so awesome that I felt I had to write it here. My husband and I enjoyed a lot, and it reminded me so much the ones I had during my trip to Rome. Thanks , great blog!
My fav dish is this….Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
I like the spicy, so used Jalepeno bacon. Delicious
Wonderfully easy and delish recipe! Everyone in the house loved it! WIll be using this quite often! Thanks!
Loved the carbonara receipe. It took me 15 minutes and it was great!!
Very yummy. I had to sub pepperoni as I was out of bacon and then supplemented the last of my Parmesan with cheddar. One kid devoured it, the picky eater opted for eggs. Oh well I loved it!
Ugh! I am out of fresh grated parm! Would it be a huge mistake to make this with dried/jarred parm (the kind they have in pizzerias)? I want to make this tomorrow night but won’t make it to the store until later in the week.
It is really up to you but I highly recommend using freshly grated Parmesan to obtain the best results possible.
this did tonight and it was yummy, I didn’t change anything!!
The eggs scrambled a bit. How do I prevent this? Still was delicious.
Your heat source may have been set too high.
I’m all in with everyone else who loves your site. So glad I found you!
loving your recipes. was able to download recipes before and enjoying them.
recently , it is coming through as a blank page.
Can you help
Internet Explorer has recently made some updates that are causing print problems. I recommend using a different browser, such as Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. But if you can only use Internet Explore, you can highlight the recipe, left-click, and print from there. Easy peasy!
Hi Chungah!
This recipe looks so delicious and simple! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I hope you don’t mind I have a two questions-
When you say reserve the fat after cooking the bacon, do you mean leave all the oil/ cooked off fat from the bacon in the pan? Don’t remove any?
Also, when you add the egg/Parmesan mixture do you take the pan off the heat?
Thank you!
Yes, the fat should be reserved in the pan completely. And no, you should not take the pan off the heat for the egg/Parmesan mixture. You need a little bit of heat to ensure that the eggs cook through without scrambling.
How long do you cook after you add the egg?
Andy, there really is no time limit here. As indicated in the directions, you will stir in the pasta and egg mixture and toss to combine. That’s it!
Love this recipe! I used pancetta and added rotisserie chicken to make it a complete meal!
Made it for supper tonight. I did add mushrooms when I was cooking the bacon. It turned out perfect. What a simple but delicous recipe!!!!!
Be sure to use eggs that are at room temperature. If they are straight out of the fridge they will be too cold and will not be cooked by the heat of the pasta. I leave my eggs out on the counter top before before going to work in the morning.
Many people have recommended pancetta and call it italian bacon. It is made from the same belly muscle as bacon but its rolled so the slices are round not long. But the major difference is the taste.pancetta is hung with herbs where bacon is smoked. So the sustitution will change the flavor slightly but will work just fine. Serve with a green salad with a vinegar and oil based dressing wich helps to balance the richness of the carbonara and you have a wonderfull meal faster than pizza delivery
I can’t eat bacon so I used chicken instead. It tasted really good! Definitely will be making it again 🙂
I made this tonight. It was a total hit with everyone, even my 3 year old! I added chicken though, and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
This is the easiest recipe and the fastest carbonara I have tried and it is delicious. I have also made it with pancetta, which is saltier but good. If you need a fast, gourmet dinner on the table, this is it.
Thank you for the recipe. I made it yesterday and liked it.
I pinned a lot of other recipes they look delicious.
Can’t wait to try the recipe. Have a question though, normally for my family I make a 900 gram bag of pasta, so does this mean I have to quadruple everything?
Tracey, 8 ounces is equal to about 226 grams. With 900 grams of pasta, it would be appropriate to quadruple the recipe.
Do you use pancetta or smoked bacon?
Lynn, feel free to use either of these choices – both go great in this dish.
After years of making carbonara, I reserve some of the crispy bacon & sprinkle it on top. Has a nice texture.
I haven’t read all the comments so not sure if this has been brought up. Traditionally with carbonara (I’ve made it a million times), you temper the eggs as to not consume raw eggs. Mixing it with the hot pasta may not cook them all the way. I would suggest tempering the eggs with the pasta water, then adding it to the pasta, and then adding the parm. It is still absolutely fantastic! 🙂
I just made this but instead of pasta noodles i used my spiralizer and used zucchinni…delish! thanks for this amazing recipe that i literally made in 10 minutes flat!
I’d love to try this with zucchini – it sounds amazing!
This recipe is so simple and DELICIOUS!!!
Okay, I’ve never commented on a blog before, but OH. MY. GOODNESS. this was the most delicious meal I have ever made!!! I cannot thank you enough for this amazing and simple recipe. I’ll definitely be coming back to your blog again and again ;).
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I add some evaporated milk or half and half in the eggs mixture for a richer flavor
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I tried to make this last night.. I must say I did fairly well for this being the first recipe that I tried to follow. Except I think I did end up with scrambled eggs because I was so worried about the eggs cooking all the way through. But either way it tasted great and my boyfriend liked it too.
Hi, this recipe looks “damn delicious”. One question, is there a potent egg taste? I am not a fan of eggs, but am willing to test it if there is not potent egg flavor. I saw in an earlier post that some substituted the egg for whip cream, but I think I’ll try the original recipe first. Thanks!!
Tabitha, the egg taste is not too potent at all! It really lends off texture and a base for the sauce.
Made this last night. I was a bit skeptical about adding the eggs, but it was great. My boys devoured it. Will definitely make this again. It was yummy and very fast to whip up on a busy weekday night.
I feel so silly asking, but I get stumped at the “reserve excess fat” part. Do I not drain the bacon grease? Please help.
Yes, Mallory, reserve the bacon grease and do not drain.
Great and quick recipe for a lazy night. So, happy I finally tried after pinning it awhile ago. I added roasted asparagus and red pepper flakes for some added flavor and it turned out great.
Delicious and so easy! My husband loves it!!
Chung-Ah, I just wanted you to know that I find your recipes so incredibly delicious that I have devoted an entire board to “DAMN DELICIOUS ” recipes only on Pinterest. Thank you so much.
Hi Chung-Ah. Your blog is really damned… damned with beautiful cooking. I really appreciate this carbonara version of yours because it’s super easy. Imagine only 5 ingredients with bacon as the superstar. I usually make it creamy by adding some whip cream and exclude the egg. Regardless, this recipe is a dining table attraction.
look delisios
My kids love me when I make this (other times – hmmm I wonder), and I absolutely love carbonara too – I call that family harmony. Damn delicious for sure!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was Yummy! Thanks for this great recipe. Even the Littles ate it up!
love your blogs title! and it certainly describes this dish perfectly. came across your recipe on foodgawker. can’t wait to try a similar version. thanks for sharing! xx. gigi. http://www.gigikkitchen.com
Hey Chung-Ah! Such a simple dish, and it’s been pinned 132,000 times, congrats on that one! It just goes to show you the simplest dishes will most likely be the most popular! How long have you been blogging for?
Cheers,
Thank you! I’ve been blogging for about 3 yrs now.
Forgive me if this has already been asked, but how can you ensure the eggs don’t scramble when adding them to the hot pasta? Fear of this has always stopped me from making Carbonara. Shame because I LOVE it, and order it whenever I see it on a restaurant menu.
Lorrie, it’s best to work quickly when adding the eggs to the pasta to ensure they don’t scramble.
I just made this for supper and WOW! It was delicious! Everyone loved it, especially my picky- eater! I told her next time I’d add her favorite, shrimp, and she grinned ear to ear 🙂 I will definitely be trying more of your recipes 🙂
Add 1/2 cup of your pasta water to your eggs when whisking them. It will temper them to make them less likely to “scramble” when you combine them with the hot pasta.
This looks great,If I were to add a lb of pasta would I double everything?:)
Yes, that’s correct.
Great, Thanks,I love garlic and this will be so good 🙂
Can’t wait to make this delicious looking dish! Thanks for sharing recipes.
This looks amazing! From the pictures it looks like you used powder Parmesan cheese. Will this work with fresh grated Parmesan?
Sara, I actually used freshly grated Parmesan so yes, that will definitely be the way to go 🙂
Do you drain the fat after cooking the bacon?
No, there is no need to drain the bacon. You will use the bacon fat to saute the rest of the ingredients and to create a thin layer of sauce.
made this last night-used fetuccini and subbed fresh pecorino romano for the parm-that’s what i had in the house-it was amazing and the hubs said he will request again (and again).
super easy, super delicious, and looked great on the plate. thanks!
I just finished my second bowl of this – it is perfection!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Spaghetti Carbonara was my favorite dish in Rome and has been while I’ve been living in Florence.
Excellent recipe Chung-Ah! Easy to follow and delicious and flavorful. Thank you so much!
Can I use turkey bacon instead of bacon?
Yes, absolutely.
Do you drain the bacon??
No, there is no need to drain the bacon. You will use the bacon fat to saute the rest of the ingredients and to create a thin layer of sauce.
Step 3 says “Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes; reserve excess fat.”
This is a little confusing, but glad I read the comments!
This looks fabulous!! I love, love, love carbonara, and your photos are gorgeous!
This is one of my favorite indulgences, and I LOVE your easy recipe, Chung-Ah! Pocketing this one to try soon. Thanks for sharing!
I have made this dish a couple times before a long long time ago. I don’t remember I
being this easy. Thanx for the memory refreshed. I like recipe where I will easily have he ingredients on hand.
Everything you post always looks so damn delicious haha. Seriously though the recipes you post are so good.
Ahhhh this looks amazing! As a high mileage elite runner, I am constantly looking for new ways to refuel! This will be a lovely change, and my boyfriend will be in heaven! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner. It is a must try for all. I added peas and a little finely chopped ham I had on hand. Tasty and very fast and easy to make. Good flavor.
Amazing photos in amazing light as always! Feels like I should pick up some strands of the spaghetti with my fingers, off my computer screen! *slurps*
PS: Quick question, would you happen to have another carbonara recipe that has more sauce? That’s how I usually get served my carbonaras where I live (Asia).
Unfortunately, this is the only carbonara recipe on my site at this time.
Thanks for the reply! Shall attempt this really soon nonetheless!
At the restaurant I used to work at, this is how the chef made the sauce….it is saucier and not a genuine carbonara like this one but great none-the-less!
Once you have crisped up the bacon, toss in a bit of chopped garlic and or onion and let it sweat (NOT brown). Add some cream (a cup or 2 depending on what you want) to the pan and let it reduce a bit. Turn off heat. Beat two eggs WELL in a small bowl. Add some of the hot cream to the eggs to temper them. Pour the egg/cream mixture back in the pan. Add the spaghetti, cheese and toss well. You will now have more sauce and it will taste great….but the recipe above is more authentic! Mangia!
I like this version Teri because i like it creamy! Thanks for sharing.
quick question: what kind of cream did your chef use- all-purpose cream? can fresh low-fat milk be used instead?
Jill – low-fat milk will never reduce to make this sauce creamy. It would take heavy cream to work that magic. Heavy cream is healthier, anyway – especially if organic – it has no carbs.
Another way I make it is with about 3/4 cup Half & Half. I beat an egg in the half & half and mix that into the pan that the noodles cooked in. That way the egg is mixed in well and cooks verses scrambles (that use to happen to me a lot before I started adding it to the half and half). Then I add in the bacon and cheese and mix well. Good luck and happy eatings
Sorry Cira but what is Half&Half? Never heard of it before.
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
Can you just come cook for me in my kitchen alldayeveryday? I’ll pay you in cookies. 😉
I’ll definitely take payment in cookies 🙂
This looks incredible!! This is totally making me rethink my dinner plans tonight. 🙂
I love spaghetti carbonara! Really, I love anything with bacon and eggs 🙂
Carbonara must be one of the best gifts the Italians gave us! So simple yet so delicious. Your pictures are gorgeous!
Please pass me a fork. Yum!
Ah – One of my favourite pasta dishes, and yet I haven’t made it in so long! I remember it was always a treat whenever mum would make pasta carbonara for dinner, despite it being such an easy dish, mmmm delicious! Thanks for the reminder, better get this made again soon! x
Chung-Ah, What I like your site most is you talk fast and short, efficient and effective, makes it so easy to read, no long talk, long paragraphs. . . . no “wasting your time and mine”. It is one of the reason that makes your site so welcome, the photography is of course the next reason, I love the simplicity of your recipes, it just fits into every-day-life. Thanks for your lovely work to help us through while we rush for the cooking as we are enjoying it at the same time.
This is such a comforting dish! I love it!
I LOVE pasta, it’s filling and well, goes well with anything, right? Five minutes, what? lol I then realised it said 5 ingredients in five 15 minutes oppsie.
I just made this and it was fast, easy and my kids loved it! Thank you! How is Butters doing??
I’m so glad you had a chance to make this! And thanks for asking about Butters. He’s doing so great and being back to the crazy pup that he is!
Looks great!!
This looks amazing! I think I’ll add some veggies (zucchini & spinach).
Your carbonara looks like the best ever!
Love your site and all your recipes are beautiful and amazing–and so easy!!! Thank you for all your great and hard work!! Can’t wait to try this one!! 🙂
Whenever I’m in a dinner rut I come to your site! You always have the simplest recipes that taste the best and your photos are great. Definitely trying this one this week! Thanks Chung-Ah!
This looks incredible!! Can’t wait to try this one 🙂
Those are the prettiest noodles that I ever did see! Carbonara is my favorite, and I ADORE how quick and easy this is! Pinned
What a great easy meal for busy or lazy days! Every dish is better with bacon! 😉
That’s one gorgeous bowl of sparghetti carbonara!
Thank you for the nice recipe.
Top with a fried egg…perfection!
Yes, definitely need to do that next time!
Even more so….grate some salt cured egg yolk on the top to take it to another level!
http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-cure-egg-yolks-recipe-article
What can I use instead of bacon?
Judy, because this recipe only consists of 5 ingredients, I do not recommend using any substitutions or omitting any of the ingredients. If you cannot consume bacon for one reason or another, then this dish may not be for you.
Not sure if yours did, but my eggs essentially scrambled when I added them to the hot pan (had it on the lowest heat), which gave it a texture I didn’t care for. The flavor components were all there but I feel like there needs to be an extra step to avoid scrambling the eggs. Will try again maybe completely off the heat… Thanks!
M Dye, it is best to stir in the eggs and work quickly to avoid this. You can also try removing the pan from the heat source and let the residual heat cook the eggs without scrambling.
You should leave the eggs out a couple of hours before you start the dish.. Let the eggs get to room temperature. That should solve the problem and stir quickly with the pan off the heat.
M Dye, temper your eggs first with a bit of the hot water you held back when draining the pasta. To do this, drizzle the hot water into your eggs while whisking briskly. This should bring your eggs up to temperature without cooking them.
Bringing eggs to room temperature before making this dish will keep them from scrambling … let them sit out of the fridge for about 45 minutes, they will not spoil and your Carbonara will have an eggy sauce instead of scrambled eggs!
Don i did what you said to do with the eggs.. worked great. I also added mushrooms and drained cut tomatoes. It was perfect..
Once you drain the pasta pour a bit of olive oil into it. That stops the egg from scrambling.
The recipe should have your temper in the egg. What you should do is take some of the hot pasta water stir it into a separate bowl where the egg is in and then add it to the pan that way it slowly is brought up to temperature and won’t scramble.
Add pasta to bowl then add egg mix then add cooked Panchetta let it cool add Parma cheese salt pepper and toss,save a cup of pasta water and add a little at a time to reach the texture you desire
I would temper the eggs with the pasta water before adding to pan (slowly pour hot pasta water into egg mixture while wisking).
Mix your eggs with some of the water used to boiling your spaghetti. It helps to temper it & the water has some starch from spaghetti that helps to thicken it.
You could also use one less egg if that helps. It’d be healthier for you that way as well.
Beef bacon.
I used turkey bacon and used a little coconut oil for added healthy fat.
oh quiet
You could use panchetta ( Italian bacon) which has an even richer flavor. Or turkey bacon if you don’t eat pork, or mock vegi bacon but the dish would be lacking and the smell of mock bacon cooking is not so great.
Pancetta is the traditional meat to use in this recipe. BTW, you should ALWAYS temper your eggs first. Either slowly whisk in some of the reserved water or some of the pasta just as slowly, then pour temped eggs into the pasta and pancetta mixture.
Hi Rosemary. When tempering the eggs, after how much pasta water should I add? Also, is it okay if the cheese has been mixed with the eggs before adding the water or should I add the parmesesn later? Thank you
PS I know this is a lot yo ask..but if you reply could your please send it to my email at [email protected]? If not , I’ll look for it here. Thanks again.
Authentic carbonara is made with pancetta, which is like a fattier version of bacon. You will want to drain off some of the fat, however, before you add it to the pasta. Most grocery stores carry pancetta, some even have it pre-diced, which makes it really easy to use!
You can use pancetta.
I used Italian Pancetta…had to get rid of a lot of the excess grease but sooo good!
Turkey bacon (:
i make this as a side dish without the bacon.just eggs, cheese and butter.
delicious !
Hi! I’ve made this for my vegetarian friends a few times by substituting thinly sliced garlic, very lightly cooked in olive oil and sprinkled with salt, for the bacon. It’s not the same thing but it’s a pretty good substitute…if you like garlic that is!
For vegans who are looking for substitutes for meat. frying smoked provolone cheese till it’s crisp, and cutting them in pieces would make a bacon substitute.
Provolone is not vegan
One of my favorite Italian dishes, very seldom do i cook for vegans. So why punish myself, ill have my bacon. One substitute For bacon that comes to mine Is hot Italian sausage. Not for vegans, but for my meat lovers. Has anyone tried Carbonara with hot Italian sausage as a substitute for bacon?
Use Pancetta!
Made this lady night during the snow storm here in nyc. I used turkey bacon. It smelled and tasted delicious!
You can use morning star fakin bacon. I love it!
Hi Judy,
When I was a vegetarian I used Morningstar veggie bacon tastes just as good if not better. You can find it at any Ralph’s, trader joes, while foods, albertsons, eat. 🙂
Yes, you can used pancetta isn’t as salty as bacon my husband like to add Italian sausage..
Judy I would use pancetta. I have made this dish before (not this recipe) but its pretty much the same. I find I like pancetta better and only use bacon when I don’t have pancetta in the house. Its my favorite pasta dish!
You can substitute with more bacon…..
Judy, Sorry I’m so late in responding and you likely have already learned this elsewhere but many chefs/cooks use panchetta for this dish.
You can use pancetta or any other pork product ! Classic Italian dish !
All of your dishes are AWESOME! I’m trying this one tonight. Thank you for all you do!
I have to agree with Averie the pics you post are really beautiful, like in a food magazine.
Your fast and easy dinners like this no doubt are appreciated by everyone! The images are so pretty, and totally your signature look! You can make noodles look like a million bucks! So impressive!