Pasta Carbonara

Made with humble ingredients, this restaurant-quality Pasta Carbonara is so flavorful. Coated in a lush and rich sauce and topped with crispy bacon, this pasta recipe comes together in 30 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 863kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

mixing bowl
Large Pot
Large skillet
Large serving bowl
Tongs

Ingredients

1 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese (84g)
1 large egg
3 egg yolks
2 garlic cloves minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces thick-cut bacon diced (340g)
12 ounces spaghetti (340g)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cheese, egg, egg yolks, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
While the water comes to a boil, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
When pasta is al dente, remove 1/2 cup of pasta water. Whisk 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water into the egg mixture.
Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and place in a large serving bowl. (Do not drain the pasta.) Add the egg mixture and bacon to the pasta and toss until creamy and the cheese melts. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of pasta water if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen the pasta mixture.
Season the pasta mixture with additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately and garnish servings with parsley if desired.

Notes

To prevent curdling, you need to whisk the ¼ cup of pasta water into the egg mixture.
Don’t drain the pasta. Use tongs to remove pasta from the hot water. Pasta needs to be hot. It’s okay that the pasta is still dripping water when transferring it to the serving bowl.
I highly recommend using freshly grated parmesan for this pasta carbonara recipe, not pre-grated parmesan or parmesan from a shaker bottle. Freshly grated parmesan melts much more smoothly, giving you a creamy and smooth sauce.
Make sure to use a large enough pot for cooking the pasta. You want there to have enough room for the noodles to move freely. Remember to stir the pasta to prevent the noodles from sticking together or to the bottom or sides of the pot.
Prevent the pasta from becoming soggy by making sure the pot of water is at a rapid boil before adding pasta to the pot.
Make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. While the recipe is simple, it moves fast, and the timing of each step is important. Read through the whole recipe thoroughly before starting the recipe.
Feel free to add a little heat to this with some red pepper flakes. Peas, arugula, a splash of lemon juice, or lemon zest also make for great additions to pasta carbonara.

Nutrition