Spaghetti Carbonara
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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
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 large eggs
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was amazing, had leftovers and it was even better the next day. Definitely my new go to.
My 3rd attempt to leave my comment…..It keeps disappearing beforeI’ve finished.
The recipe is very simple for even a beginners in the kitchen. I use fresh BASIL in mine…I grow it & LOVE IT. Leftovers is not a problem, add a little water & warm on low, stir a couple times…plate up…..add a bit more cheese on top…..Delicious RERUN !!
gave = have
Do eggs really gave to be used in this? I can’t stand them and use them only in baking.
No. I make it all the time for kids in the family and use only the pasta water to make it creamy. They love it. It’s not “authentic”without the egg, but it works.
Standard recipe for fettuccini alfredo, nothing special. I won’t use the whole egg though, only the yolk.
Alfredo? Lol this is carbonara sir.
This is not Alfredo whatsoever
Super yummy. You will not need to add any extra salt if you use salty bacon. I did use finely shredded Parm from the bag and it still turned out good
Yummy,
My husband loves this recipe and gets super excited when I make it.
Why did you reserve the excess fat? Don’t see any instructions to use it.
For sautéing the minced garlic.
You throw the drained spaghetti into the pan with the bacon, garlic, AND OIL Stir and mix well. Then add the eggs and cheese, and follow the rest of the recipe.
Great easy meal! I tried another carbona recipe and it failed miserably. This one was spot on. My husband loved it. Silky and satisfying. A glass of Pinot and u r set for a lovely dinner.
No garlic! Seriously, garlic is never used in carbonate in Italy. I know, because I lived there 3 years. They don’t use cream either as some recipes do. This one is pretty authentic if you leave out the garlic and use pancetta rather than bacon. Bacon works though if you can’t find pancetta.
Good stuff. Also great substituting the bacon with prosciutto sautéed until crisp.
This was so good! Light yet flavorful and filling. Thanks for the recipe!
Mine turned out kinda dry. Not sure how that happened. 🙁
An easy way to avoid scrambled eggs is to stir a few tablespoons of the pasta water into them right before adding the eggs to the pasta – and add at least two more egg yolks for a true creamy carbonara!
Hey there, thanks for sharing this incredible recipe for spaghetti carbonara! As a pasta lover, I always appreciate a dish that comes together quickly and easily, especially when it only requires a few ingredients like this one. And of course, who doesn’t love the addition of bacon to any dish?
I love that you’ve included some tips for cooking this dish, such as working quickly with the egg mixture to avoid scrambled eggs and adding the pasta water gradually to reach the desired consistency. These little details can make all the difference in creating a perfect plate of spaghetti carbonara.
I can’t wait to try this recipe out for myself and impress my friends and family with a delicious and easy meal. Thank you again for sharing this recipe and I look forward to trying out more of your dishes in the future!
Indulge in the creamy and savory goodness of Spaghetti Carbonara with this classic recipe! The silky smooth pasta is perfectly coated in a luxurious sauce made with bacon, eggs, cheese, and garlic, creating a delicious and comforting dish. This recipe is easy to make and perfect for a cozy night in or a dinner party with friends.
I made this recipe for a dinner party w/one of our guests who was allergic to eggs thanks to a vaccine reaction. We have enjoyed this recipe at an Italian restaurant we frequent…sooo good..! Made it without eggs and added cream as a substitute. Btw, I always keep a jar of bacon grease in the frig as it adds a lot of flavor to soups, frittatas, etc. I did use flat leaf parsley and added some red pepper flakes at the end along w/frozen green peas. My husband and I, didn’t miss the eggs and actually thought it was better w/the cream as a substitute.
Keep scrolling Clare
Don’t dis this recipe with all your changes. Make your own site
Clare, these are great tips to know! So helpful
Clare, thank you for your review and info on an egg free option for those interested and who believe DamnDelicious has great recipes that we trust to taste wonderful each time we try one..
Thank you for mentioning the eggs and cream. I am also allergic to eggs and was reading these comments hoping for a suggestion in place of the eggs! I will try this:)
Why did I reserve the bacon fat?
For cooking the garlic
Easy and delicious. I steamed some broccoli for a side. This was my 2nd time making it and I’ll make it again soon, it’s that good.
Delicious and so easy! Will be making again. My husband requested some peas in it foe next time.
Fast and easy.I picked up this particular recipe rather than the one I had traditionally been using but I kept using PecorinoRomano in place of Parmesan. It is,after all,a Roman regional dish