Spaghetti Carbonara is a unique, easy pasta dish that combines spaghetti with crisp, pan-fried bacon in a creamy Parmesan carbonara sauce. Whole eggs are one of the key ingredients in this well-loved recipe. You can make this restaurant-quality pasta at home with just a few simple tips.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Pasta: Spaghetti is the traditional pasta, but you can use fettuccine, linguine, bucatini, or rigatoni.
- Bacon: Thick-cut bacon, pancetta, pork jowl, or guanciale all work well for this pasta.
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), not the stuff in the canister, because it melts better and tastes far superior. Pecorino Romano is just as delicious if you have it.
- Herbs: Though not traditional, I like to sprinkle in chopped fresh parsley or basil.
How To Make Spaghetti Carbonara
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Brown the bacon in a skillet. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.
- Remove most of the bacon grease. Cook the garlic in the skillet over low heat for a minute.
- Whisk the eggs and Parmesan cheese together.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente and drain well. Reserve a cup of pasta water.
- Quickly toss the hot pasta with the bacon and garlic. Slowly add the egg mixture and toss to coat.
- Top with fresh herbs.
Tips For Success
- The key to excellent pasta carbonara is timing. Add the egg mixture when the pasta is hot and toss to coat. Keep the pasta water hot, too. Have everything you need by the stove, including tongs, pasta water, chopped parsley, cooked bacon, and the egg mixture.
- This dish is best served promptly. You can reheat it, but it’s best served fresh out of the pan.
- Don’t forget to reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water. It helps thin the pasta sauce to your desired consistency. Slide a large bowl under the colander before draining the pasta, and don’t forget it. Store pasta water in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Turn the heat off before adding the egg mixture to the skillet to keep from scrambling the eggs, and toss quickly to move the sauce through the pasta.
Perfect Pairings
- Salad: Green Goddess Salad, Antipasto Salad, or Rocket Salad.
- Vegetables: Oven Roasted Zucchini, Creamed Spinach, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
- Bread and Rolls: Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Dinner Rolls, or Cheese Garlic Bread
Spaghetti Carbonara
This Spaghetti Carbonara is a unique, easy pasta dish that combines spaghetti with crisp, pan-fried bacon in a creamy Parmesan carbonara sauce.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 754kcal
Ingredients
- 9 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 12 ounces spaghetti pasta
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Remove all but 1½ tablespoons of bacon grease from the skillet and discard. Cook the garlic in the skillet over low heat for a minute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and Parmesan cheese.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook al dente, following the package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta well.
- Now, working fairly quickly, add the hot cooked pasta to the skillet with the bacon fat, bacon, and garlic, tossing quickly to coat. Beat the egg mixture again for a few seconds. Turn off the heat, then slowly pour in the egg-parmesan mixture and a splash or two of the pasta water while tossing frequently with the other hand. Once the egg mixture is fully incorporated, add more pasta water until you reach the desired consistency,
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve promptly.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, remove the carbonara from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature for about 30-40 minutes. Then heat a skillet over low heat and add the leftover pasta. Toss the pasta to warm, adding 1-2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water as needed. For best results, serve promptly.
Nutrition
Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 249mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 666IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 2mg
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Samantha
This is one of my favourite pasta dishes, my husband and I just love this! This is a must try! Great work, Beth!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Samantha!
Maddie
Spaghetti is my favorite pasta for carbonara! This is delicious. I do love such a good, quick food to make in the evenings.
Jen
My family loves this spaghetti carbonara! Who can resist pasta with bacon! This is going to be on rotation at our house. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Jen!
Marie
This homemade carbonara is delicious and just as good if not better than my favorite Italian restaurant. I always appreciate your recipes, Beth!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Marie!
Clarice
Now I’m craving carbonara! I love the idea of using thick-cut bacon with fresh parsley and basil. Your post is making me so hungry, I might just make this tomorrow morning! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Beth Pierce
Enjoy, my friend!
Melissa
This is one pasta dish I have not tried as of yet and I already pinned this one as I am going to try and make it tomorrow for dinner. My kids love any kind of pasta and this looks so yummy! Thank you for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Melissa!
Albert
Love that this recipe sticks to the classic egg-and-pasta-water technique instead of relying on heavy cream.
Beth Pierce
I agree, Albert!
Karen
The Spaghetti Carbonara was delicious, everyone loved it. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe, didn’t change anything. So good.
Beth Pierce
So happy that you liked it, Karen!
Yancy
Carbonara is always a classic and I love how quick and easy it is to put together. I like to use bacon lardons – they work so well in this dish. A very tasty recipe!
Beth Pierce
We call that slab bacon.