Spaghetti Carbonara
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
The easiest pasta dish you will ever make with just 5 ingredients in 15 min, loaded with Parmesan and crisp bacon goodness!
Featured Comment
This is one of those dishes that comes together in 15 minutes or less with just 5 simple ingredients – spaghetti, bacon, garlic, Parmesan and eggs. A lightening fast weeknight meal yet still fancy enough for date night or weekend company. And if you’re skeptical about the raw eggs, have no fear! 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 (not that scrambled eggs would be the worst thing in the world here).
reasons to make carbonara
- Weeknight superhero made in less than 30 min
- Super short ingredient list, most of which you probably have on hand
- Restaurant-worthy rich, silky, velvety pasta dinner the whole family can enjoy
what is carbonara
Carbonara is an Italian dish typically made with pasta (most commonly spaghetti), eggs, guanciale (cured pork), hard cheese, salt and pepper.
Carbonara versus alfredo
Carbonara is made with eggs as its primary thickening agent whereas alfredo uses butter and heavy cream for a more richer, creamier consistency.
Ingredients
Spaghetti
Spaghetti pasta is typically used in carbonara as its long strands can easily soak up the silky, creamy goodness but linguine, fettuccine or bucatini can be used as well.
Eggs
Room temperature eggs are key here! It serves as a thickening agent without scrambling, binding with the fat from the bacon (or pancetta) and creating that favorited smooth, silky sauce.
Parmesan
Use hard cheese such as pecorino romano or Parmesan. Pre-packaged cheese contains anti-caking agents that can hinder their ability to melt smoothly. Freshly and finely grated cheese is best here, adding a handful at a time for a smooth consistency.
Bacon
Bacon is more readily available but pancetta or guanciale can also be used for a more authentic carbonara.
Garlic
Although garlic is not traditionally used in carbonara, it will add a lovely boost of flavor.
Parsley
Add your finishing touches with a sprinkle of fresh parsley (or basil).
tips and tricks for success
- Use room temperature eggs. Using room temperature eggs will ensure a smooth, well-emulsified silky consistency (cold eggs can seize when added to hot pasta). To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. According to the USDA, eggs should not be left at room temperature for over 2 hours.
- Make it richer. For an even richer, creamier consistency, use egg yolks only.
- Lower the heat. Working quickly over low heat, stir in the egg mixture, allowing the residual heat from the pasta to cook the eggs gently to yield that velvety, silky sauce. Remove the pan from heat if needed.
- Reserve pasta water. Thanks to the starch in the pasta water, this will help the sauce stick to the pasta as well as thicken the sauce for extra creaminess.
- Halve the recipe. If cooking for 2, say for date night or a romantic night in, this recipe halves very well. Utilize the same cooking time with a smaller cast iron skillet.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Spaghetti Carbonara: Frequently Asked Questions
Spaghetti is a classic choice for carbonara but linguine, fettuccine or bucatini are all great alternatives.
One of the most common reason for scrambled eggs in carbonara is cooking at a high temperature. Lower the heat and add the egg mixture into the center of the skillet over the pasta, avoiding the edges, tossing immediately and quickly to avoid overcooking and scrambling.
Spaghetti carbonara is best served immediately but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, adding a splash of water when reheating (to loosen if needed).
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ 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
Equipment
Instructions
- 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 cast iron 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.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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. 🙂