This basic spaghetti carbonara recipe is an easy, simple dinner that comes together in about 20 minutes. The creamy pasta with bacon doesn’t even need cream, as the velvety texture comes from a quick sauce made with eggs, garlic, and Parmesan!
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for even more easy spaghetti recipes, be sure to try this million dollar baked spaghetti, this spaghetti salad, the best spaghetti sauce recipe, and this chicken spaghetti casserole!
Sooooo easy and sooooo good! I used back bacon as that’s what I had and increased the garlic cuz that’s how I roll! Will try maybe mushrooms too next time and some shallots or onion. Definitely nothing to be scared of here LOL easy peasy
– Christine
A Simple Carbonara Recipe
This easy spaghetti carbonara was originally inspired by Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, who I watched make an authentic carbonara recipe on his television show, The Kitchen. Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish from Rome, traditionally made with egg, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper. These very simple ingredients come together in a magical way, as the mixture of raw eggs and grated cheese is combined with hot starchy pasta water to form a rich, silky sauce that perfectly coats every noodle.
Instead of the fancier, hard-to-find ingredients that Chef Zakarian uses, I tweaked the classic dish by substituting spaghetti for bucatini, bacon for pancetta, and Parmesan cheese for Parmigiano-Reggiano. With the authentic preparation method, the end result is a simple spaghetti carbonara recipe that’s just as delicious as its Roman counterpart — and it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- A traditional carbonara should not include cream. Instead, the sauce gets its creamy texture from the raw egg and the addition of some of the reserved starchy cooking water.
- You’ll need two whole eggs plus an additional egg yolk for this recipe. I recommend using the best quality local farm-fresh eggs, if available, because the beautiful bright yellow-orange yolks will give the sauce a stunning gold color.
- Spaghetti is the most traditional pasta choice, but you can substitute with other pasta shapes such as bucatini, fettuccine, linguine or rigatoni.
- Do not discard the pasta cooking water. You’ll need this starchy liquid to thin the sauce, so it’s important that you don’t strain the pasta and dump the water down the drain!
- Thick-cut bacon adds a smoky flavor and rendered fat to the sauce.
- Use freshly-grated Parmesan (not the canned pre-grated stuff), and make sure that it’s shredded to a very fine consistency on a microplane, food processor, or the smallest side of a box grater. This will ensure that the Parmesan melts smoothly into the sauce.
How to Make this Easy Carbonara Recipe
This quick weeknight dinner requires just a handful of basic kitchen staples, so you can whip it up any night of the week. Who can argue with bacon, pasta, and cheese?! It’s always a crowd-pleaser! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water. Salt the pasta water once it starts to boil. This is your opportunity to season the pasta itself, and you’ll also want the water to have a little bit of salt in it when you use it for the sauce later. Reserve the hot cooking water.
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
- Add the garlic to the skillet with the bacon and cook for about 30 more seconds.
- Stir in a ladle of hot pasta water and simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and Parmesan.
- Gradually temper the egg (bring it up to temperature) by gradually whisking in some of the hot pasta water.
- Transfer the pasta from the cooking water to the skillet with the bacon. Remove the pan from the heat. Season with plenty of black pepper.
- Stir the tempered egg mixture into the hot pasta and toss gently to coat.
- Garnish with Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, or chopped fresh herbs like fresh basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, or rosemary.
How to Avoid Scrambled Eggs in Carbonara
A well-done carbonara should have a smooth, silky, creamy texture (without any actual cream). The whites of the egg combine with the starch in the pasta water to add viscosity to the sauce, while the yolk adds richness and flavor. Because egg yolks are a powerful emulsifier, they also help bind the fat from the pork to the sauce, creating a smooth, velvety texture without any separation.
The carbonara preparation method is the key to avoiding scrambled eggs in your sauce. You need enough heat to melt the cheese and thicken the egg, but not so much that you scramble the egg (which will start to happen at 145°F). That’s why you’ll “temper” the egg by gradually whisking a small amount of the hot pasta water into the egg-Parmesan mixture. This brings the egg up to temperature so that when you toss it with the hot pasta off of the heat, the egg doesn’t instantly curdle or scramble.
Serving Suggestions
The rich pasta goes well with a crisp Caesar salad, a simple bowl of greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette, or a pan of sauteed spinach. Soak up any extra sauce with a loaf of garlic bread, pull apart garlic bread, our easy baguette bread recipe, or some homemade focaccia bread.
If you’d like to pair wine with this basic spaghetti carbonara recipe, the article 10 Wines to Pair with Spaghetti alla Carbonara suggests looking for a wine with a fair amount of acidity, good intensity, and a certain degree of softness and alcohol content. Sparkling wines work well, and a white wine is always a great option with this dish. Try a white wine from the center of Italy to reflect the origin of the carbonara. Rosé wines can also pair well, especially those from Abruzzo and Lake Garda, but avoid reds or anything that is too tannic.
Storage Tips
- How to Store: This easy spaghetti carbonara recipe is best enjoyed immediately, while it’s still warm from the skillet. If you have leftovers, they will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The pasta may become a little bit dry, though, and the bacon won’t be as crispy.
- How to Freeze: You can freeze carbonara in an airtight container for up to 3 months; however, the quality of the pasta and sauce will not be nearly as good when thawed. Pasta tends to have a mushy texture, and the sauce may not be as smooth and creamy. Thaw frozen spaghetti carbonara in the refrigerator overnight.
- How to Reheat: To reheat the dish, place the spaghetti carbonara in a warm skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, just until heated through. If the pasta seems too dry, just add a little bit of olive oil (about a teaspoon at a time) until it reaches the desired consistency.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Easy Carbonara
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons total)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large whole eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- Optional garnish: additional Parmesan cheese, olive oil, fresh herbs
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve the hot cooking water, because you will need it for the sauce later.
- Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add a ladle of pasta water and simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and egg yolk in a large bowl. Add the Parmesan and whisk to combine. While whisking, very gradually add a ladle of the pasta water to temper the eggs. Set aside.
- When the pasta is al dente, add the pasta straight from the water to the bacon in the skillet (reserving the pasta cooking water in the pot). Remove from the heat; season with black pepper, to taste.
- Stir the egg mixture into the pasta and toss gently to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit more pasta water. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, or chopped fresh herbs.
Notes
- Make sure that you slowly temper the egg (bring it up to temperature) by gradually whisking in some of the hot pasta water. Then remove the pan from the heat and toss the tempered egg mixture with the hot pasta. This is the key to avoiding scrambled eggs in your sauce!
- Instead of bacon, use pancetta or guanciale. These Italian cured meats will not render as much fat in the pan as the bacon, so you’ll need to start with about ¼ cup of olive oil in the skillet.
- If you’re using regular bacon instead of thick-cut bacon, increase the total amount to about 5 or 6 slices.
Nutrition
Best Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe Variations
- Swap out the spaghetti and toss the carbonara sauce with another pasta such as bucatini, fettuccine, rigatoni, or linguine.
- Instead of bacon, use pancetta or guanciale. These Italian cured meats will not render as much fat in the pan as the bacon, so you’ll need to start with about ¼ cup of olive oil in the skillet.
- If you’re using regular bacon instead of thick-cut bacon, you’ll need to increase the total amount to about 5 or 6 slices.
- Add frozen peas at the end for a pop of color and sweetness.
- Toss the hot pasta with fresh baby spinach for some tender greens in your dish.
- For another easy pasta dish, try this pesto cream pasta with chicken and broccoli.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
This post was originally published in June, 2021. It was updated in February, 2025.
Sooooo easy and sooooo good! I used back bacon as that’s what I had and increased the garlic cuz that’s how I roll! Will try maybe mushrooms too next time and some shallots or onion. Definitely nothing to be scared of here LOL easy peasy
Thank you, Christine! I’m so glad that you liked it!
Do the directions actually mean that this dish is served containing uncooked eggs? I’m concerned because of the salmonella factor.
Hi, Sherry! Yes, traditional carbonara does contain raw egg. The egg is mixed with the hot pasta, and the heat from the pasta cooks the egg just enough to create a creamy, velvety sauce without fully scrambling it. You’ll definitely want to use fresh eggs, as they will be less likely to cause any food safety issues.
Never had this dish before. I made this yesterday. Wow. A new addition to my ‘go to’ list from now on. Excellent taste, directions clear. Followed exactly except we use whole wheat pasta (spaghetti). Thank you. The bomb. Wondering if minced clams would work instead of bacon. May try next time
Thank you very much, Ray! We’re so glad you enjoyed it and would love to know how it goes with clams if you give it a try.
Just stopping in to say that I used your creamy carbonara recipe as part of my recipe roundup! Hope you have a wonderful day!
Jennifer
https://shorelinejourneys.com/spaghetti-carbonara-sandals-resorts-copycat-recipe/
Thanks, Jennifer!