Pasta carbonara is a classic Italian dish that features spaghetti or another long pasta tossed with a creamy sauce made from eggs, cheese, pancetta, and black pepper. This dish is simple yet flavorful, making it a favorite for weeknight dinners or special occasions.
To make pasta carbonara, start by cooking spaghetti or your preferred pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced pancetta or bacon and cook until it is crispy and browned.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, and black pepper until well combined. Drain the cooked pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water, and add the hot pasta to the skillet with the pancetta. Toss the pasta and pancetta together to combine.
Remove the skillet from the heat and quickly stir in the egg and cheese mixture, using tongs to coat the pasta evenly. The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs and create a creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.
Serve the pasta carbonara immediately, garnished with additional grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley, if desired. This dish is best enjoyed right after it’s made, as the sauce can become too thick if it sits for too long. Enjoy!
Ready in: 35 minutes; Servings: 6 Servings ;Cook20 minutes ;Prep15 minutes
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon , cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 1/2 cups water , divided
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 lb spaghetti or linguine
- 1 1/4 cups finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for serving (2 oz)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper , or to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley , for garnish
Instructions
Add bacon and 1/2 cup of the water to a large non-stick skillet and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Allow to simmer until water evaporates about 6 – 7 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until bacon is brown and crisp, about 6 – 8 minutes longer.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl then pour bacon into strainer while reserving about 1 tsp of the rendered fat in pan. Return pan to heat and saute garlic about 30 seconds, until fragrant and lightly golden.
Pour into a medium mixing bowl then add 1 Tbsp rendered bacon fat (drippings in bowl set under strainer) to mixing bowl with garlic. Add eggs, egg yolk, parmesan and pepper to garlic mixture and whisk until well combined.
Meanwhile, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large dutch oven (no more than 8 cups because you want a very starchy water for the sauce). Add spaghetti and salt to boiling water and cook until al dente. While pasta is boiling, set a colander in a large bowl.
Carefully drain al dente pasta into colander in bowl, while reserving pasta water in bowl. Measure out 1 cup hot pasta water and discard remaining water. Immediately place pasta in now empty large bowl.
Slowly pour and whisk 1/2 cup pasta water into egg mixture, then slowly pour mixture over pasta while tossing to coat. Add bacon and toss to combine. Season with salt if desired.
Let pasta rest, tossing frequently, 2 – 4 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly and coats pasta. Thin with rema