This Easy Spaghetti Carbonara is comfort food at its best. Made with crispy bacon and a delicious combination of Italian cheeses, this flavorful pasta will quickly become your favorite hearty meal.
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
We all love a good carbonara, but what if we told you that we have the easiest spaghetti carbonara recipe you'll ever come across? This recipe is:
- Silky: The trick of using the hot pasta right out of the pot ensures that the egg and cheese mixture becomes incredibly smooth and velvety. For an even creamier dish, check out this Creamy Salmon Asparagus Pasta.
- Flavor: The combination of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano provides a depth of flavor that is simply irresistible.
- Easy: This recipe is super simple and can be made in just 20 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner.
- Quick: While the pasta is cooking, the bacon and the egg and cheese mixture can be prepared, saving you even more time. Speaking of quick, be sure to try our One Pan Vegetable Pasta too.
- Flexible: You can add a little extra pepper or cheese depending on your personal preference.
Key Ingredients
- Spaghetti – This is the star of our dish. Use dry spaghetti for the best results.
- Eggs – We’ll be using two of these to make a creamy, delicious sauce.
- Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano – These two cheeses, when combined, add a unique and tangy flavor to our carbonara.
- Garlic – Just a couple of cloves, minced, to add a robust, aromatic flavor to our dish.
- Parsley – We’ll finely chop some of this to add a fresh, herby note to our carbonara.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of our favorite substitutions and variations:
- Pasta: While spaghetti is the traditional choice for this dish, feel free to substitute with any pasta of your choice.
- Meat: Pancetta is commonly used in carbonara, but bacon is a great substitute. If you want to make it vegetarian, you can use mushrooms or tofu bacon.
- Cheese: If you can't find Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, feel free to use regular Romano or Parmesan cheese. But do try to find the real deal cheeses, as they really make a difference in flavor.
How to Make Easy Spaghetti Carbonara
Step 1: Boil spaghetti until al dente. In a separate pan, sauté bacon until crispy.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, and both cheeses. Set this bowl over a pot of boiling water to warm, then add the cooked spaghetti and whisk.
Step 3: Add the bacon and serve immediately, garnished with parsley.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
What to Serve with Easy Spaghetti Carbonara
Salad
- Pasta Carbonara is a complete meal on its own but you can also serve it with a microgreens salad, if you like. A simple green salad or a Caesar salad both go well with this creamy pasta dish.
Protein
- If you're looking to add some extra protein to your meal, you can serve spaghetti carbonara with a side of grilled chicken or shrimp. The flavors of the pasta work really well with both of these options.
Bread
- For a cozy Italian dinner, serve spaghetti carbonara with a side of garlic focaccia. You can use the bread to soak up any extra sauce and it's always a hit with kids and adults alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. While traditional spaghetti is the classic choice for carbonara, you can use other long pasta shapes like fettuccine, linguini, or bucatini. You can even try it with short pasta like rigatoni or penne if you prefer.
This is a technique called "tempering". It gently heats the eggs without scrambling them, ensuring that they combine smoothly with the pasta and form a creamy sauce.
It's best to use freshly grated Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano for this recipe. Pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents that can prevent it from melting as smoothly. The flavor of freshly grated cheese is also superior.
Spaghetti carbonara is best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, adding a little extra cream or pasta water to help loosen the sauce.
Recipe
Easy Spaghetti Carbonara
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, add spaghetti and cook until al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a medium non-stick skillet and on a medium heat, add bacon and saute until it's nice and crisp and the fat is rendered, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the bacon onto a paper towel.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add salt, pepper, garlic, Pecorino-Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Set the bowl of egg and cheese mixture over a pot of boiling water or place it on a slightly heated stove. Let it warm up for a few minutes before adding pasta, whisking from time to time to prevent eggs from cooking.
- Using tongs, quickly add spaghetti into the egg and cheese mixture and mix well until sauce thickens. If it seems too dry, add more pasta cooking water 2-3 tablespoons at a time. The sauce should become silky and smooth. The trick is to use hot pasta right out of the pot.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in bacon.
- Serve immediately and garnish with chopped parsley.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
BRIAN FORD says
Carbonara, at the very least needs pancetta, not standard bacon. Never, ever use garlic. The flavors of carbonara are soft and subtle, garlic just over powers all the wonderful flavors and creaminess that a good carbonara offers.
Kulia says
So beautiful! And I think it's very tasty.
Iryna says
🙂