Pasta Carbonara

5 from 6 votes

Pasta Carbonara is on your table in 20 minutes and is absolutely delicious. Follow this simple recipe for a fast dinner recipe everyone will love!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Servings: servings

Calories: 507kcal

Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup Parmesan cheese plus more for serving (100 grams)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound uncooked spaghetti (453.6 grams)
6 ounces thick-cut bacon diced (see note)
4 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Read through the instructions and prep all of the ingredients before beginning this recipe.
Beat the eggs, Parmesan, and black pepper together in a bowl until fully combined.
2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the dry spaghetti. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. It is important that while the pasta is cooking, you work on the sauce so it is ready when the pasta is done and still hot. Be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water when you drain it.
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
Once the spaghetti is cooking, cook the bacon until almost crisp in a large skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until just fragrant. (If the pasta isn't done yet, remove from heat, making sure the garlic does not burn.)
6 ounces thick-cut bacon, 4 cloves garlic
Add the drained hot pasta to the bacon and garlic and toss over the heat to combine for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, ensuring that the spaghetti gets well coated in the rendered bacon fat.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the egg mixture. It will thicken and coat the pasta. (It is important to remove the pan from the heat. If you leave it over the heat when you add the egg-cheese mixture, it will scramble the eggs.) If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little of the reserved pasta water.
Plate the hot pasta and top with freshly ground black pepper and additional Parmesan.

Video

Notes

Carbonara traditionally calls for guanciale. In this recipe, I'm using bacon because it is easier to find and more budget-friendly, but you can absolutely replace it with guanciale.

Nutrition