Crumbled bacon and spaghetti are tossed in a velvety cheese sauce in this 5 ingredient pasta carbonara recipe. This creamy, rich pasta dish will be on the table in under 25 minutes!
Why this recipe works
Traditionally, pasta carbonara is made with guanciale (Italian cured pork) or as you’ve likely seen before, pancetta (salt-cured pork belly). We’ve made a few tweaks to our spaghetti carbonara by swapping the classic meats out with bacon as it’s readily available in most grocery stores. But the main star of this recipe, in my opinion, is the creamy sauce that pulls together all the ingredients beautifully.
Serve this dish with some fresh homemade parmesan garlic rolls to complete the meal. Below you’ll find a few tips on how to make this easy 5-ingredients (not counting salt and pepper!) carbonara.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
SAUCE – Pasta carbonara has a creamy, cheesy sauce, but surprisingly, is made without cream or butter! Eggs, cheese, and hot pasta water come together to make this simple sauce. Feel free to use pecorino romano, parmesan cheese, or even a mixture of the two. You can adjust the amount of pasta water for less sauce. If you want more sauce, I would recommend increasing the number of eggs and amount of cheese. This recipe uses two cups of pasta water – you can start with 1 cup and increase from there to find the perfect amount of sauce.
MEAT – You can use pancetta or bacon for this recipe (traditionally made with pancetta or guanciale). You can cook the bacon either whole and then crumble or chop it into pieces and cook it already diced. For a super-fast dinner, use pre-cooked bacon. Pre-cooked bacon still needs a bit of cooking to crisp it up and it will release enough fat to have that flavorful tablespoon or so for cooking the garlic and adding flavor to the sauce.
How to Make Pasta Carbonara
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti to desired tenderness. Reserve two cups of the pasta water and drain pasta the rest of the way.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from pan when crisp, then crumble. Set aside. Do not clean skillet.
- In the bacon grease left in the skillet, saute garlic until golden. Transfer garlic and one tablespoon of the bacon grease to a medium mixing bowl.
- Add eggs, 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 cup of finely grated cheese to the mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- In large skillet or serving bowl, combine hot pasta, hot pasta water, and the egg/cheese mixture. Toss well. Allow pasta to set for about 5 minutes as the starches in the pasta help to thicken the sauce. The heat from the pasta and pasta water is enough to melt the cheese and “cook” the eggs without scrambling them
- Stir in bacon and top with freshly chopped parsley. Serve.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Once cooled, store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though I would recommend consuming it within 24 hours. Reheat in the microwave with a damp paper towel over the top. The longer your pasta sits in the refrigerator, the more it will absorb the sauce. You can add a bit of water to the dish before reheating to help loosen it up, but it may dilute the flavor a bit.
Be sure to use room temperature eggs, otherwise, it could cause the sauce to become lumpy/clumpy.
Yes, you can certainly use pasteurized eggs if you are worried about the risk of consuming partially raw egg. Those who are pregnant, eldery, immunocompromised, or if serving to children, may consider choosing pasteurized eggs instead. Pasteurized eggs are heated to just before the scramble point, killing off bacteria inside and reducing the risk of salmonella poisoning. You can find pasteurized eggs next to the regular eggs at the grocery store. Simply look for “pasteurized” on the carton.
Serving Suggestions
Top with an additional sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve warm and steamy with a side of dinner rolls or a fresh salad.
More Pasta Recipes
- Turkey Carbonara
- Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- Simple Zucchini Tomato Pasta
- Veal Piccata
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Stuffed Shells
- Scallop Pasta
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Pasta Carbonara
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 10 slices bacon raw or precooked. crumbled
- 3 cloves garlic minced. 3-4 cloves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or romano cheese, plus more for topping
- fresh chopped parsley optional as garnish
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Feel free to use pecorino romano, parmesan cheese, or even a mixture of the two.
- You can use pancetta or bacon for this recipe (traditionally made with pancetta or guanciale, though the latter is difficult to find around here). You can cook the bacon either whole and then crumble or chop it into pieces and cook it already diced. For a super fast dinner, use pre-cooked bacon. Pre-cooked bacon still needs a bit of cooking to crisp it up and it will release enough fat to have that flavorful tablespoon or so for cooking the garlic and adding flavor to the sauce.
- *You do not add heat to the dish once you’ve stirred in the egg mixture – don’t cook it or you will end up with scrambled eggs.* The heat from the pasta and pasta water is enough to melt the cheese and “cook” the eggs without scrambling them.
- You can adjust the amount of pasta water for less sauce. If you want more sauce, I would recommend increasing the number of eggs and amount of cheese.
- This recipe uses two cups of pasta water – you can start with 1 cup and increase from there to find the perfect amount of sauce.
- Once cooled, store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave with a damp paper towel over the top. The longer your pasta sits in the refrigerator, the more it will absorb the sauce. You can add a bit of water to the dish before reheating to help loosen it up, but it may dilute the flavor a bit.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti to desired tenderness. Reserve two cups of the pasta water and drain pasta the rest of the way.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from pan when crisp and crumble. Set aside. Do not clean skillet.
- In the bacon grease left in the skillet, saute garlic until golden. Transfer garlic and one tablespoon of the bacon grease to a medium mixing bowl.
- Add eggs, 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 cup of finely grated cheese to the mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- In large skillet or serving bowl, combine hot pasta, hot pasta water, and the egg/cheese mixture. Toss well. Allow pasta to set for about 5 minutes as the starches in the pasta help to thicken the sauce. The heat from the pasta and pasta water is enough to melt the cheese and “cook” the eggs without scrambling them
- Stir in bacon and top with freshly chopped parsley. Serve.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Catherine Cordaro says
The best recipe for carbonara I have ever had! Ut was perfectly creamy and the bacon works great!
Thank you!