This Spaghetti Carbonara is creamy and smooth, with a delicious savory flavor. With crispy bacon, fresh garlic, and Parmesan cheese, this is a dish you won’t forget.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I have to say that Spaghetti Carbonara is one of my favorite pasta dishes. There’s something about the way the bacon and cheese mix with incredibly creamy sauce that just set my taste buds off. You’re going to love this recipe and so will everyone you serve it to.
- TASTE: This dish is a classic because it’s full of savory bacon, freshly grated Parmesan, and flavorful garlic that gives it tons of flavor.
- TEXTURE: The spaghetti is cooked al dente for a little chew. And the smooth, creamy sauce made just with eggs is phenomenal.
- TIME: It takes less than 20 minutes to prepare this homemade meal.
- EASE: I’ll be honest, making a good Spaghetti Carbonara requires some effort. Not because it’s difficult, but to get a smooth and rich sauce means working a little harder. But it’s worth it!
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Eggs + Egg yolks- These give the carbonara sauce its distinctive velvety texture, especially the yolks.
- Parmesan cheese– Nutty, salty, and cheesy, this ingredient is a huge flavor booster for this dish.
- Spaghetti– You can use any brand you like, but I like Barilla. If you use thin spaghetti, the noodles may cook a little faster.
- Bacon– Cooked until crispy, this adds lots of savory flavor and great texture to the pasta.
- Garlic cloves– Fresh garlic is a pungent and flavorful addition.
- Salt and Black pepper– To taste.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Make it more authentic- For a more traditional version, skip the garlic, then substitute the bacon with guanciale or pancetta. Instead of parmesan, use pecorino romano.
- Substitute a different pasta- You can make this dish with any noodle, though it’s best with long ones like spaghetti, linguine, or fettucine. You can also use gluten-free pasta.
- Add heavy cream- You can do this with less egg yolks or just adds some for an extra creamy and rich sauce.
- Make it dairy-free- Using plant-based parmesan cheese, you can skip the dairy in this recipe altogether.
How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara
- Make the egg mixture. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks together with the grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Boil the pasta. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water for later.
- Cook the bacon. Add the chopped bacon slices to a cold skillet and turn the heat on at medium-high. Cook the bacon until it’s brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic. Now add the minced garlic to the bacon and stir for about 20 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant (be careful not to burn it). Turn off the heat.
- Add the pasta. Using tongs, add the spaghetti to the bacon while it’s still hot, straight from the pot.
- Add the egg mixture. Now add the egg mixture and the reserved pasta water. Stir as quickly as you can so the eggs don’t scramble from the heat. Continue stirring for about a minute, until the sauce comes together. Add salt to taste.
- Serve immediately. Plate the spaghetti carbonara immediately into warm bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Pro Tip: Make sure the heat is OFF when you add the egg mixture to the pasta. Otherwise, you’ll scramble your eggs.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature eggs- These incorporate more smoothly.
- Add the egg mixture to the hot pasta- The heat from the pasta creates enough heat to thicken the eggs in the sauce.
- Use pasta water with the egg mixture- The starch in the water binds everything together.
- Use egg yolks- These are the number one reason your carbonara sauce is creamy and rich without any cream being added.
- Serve your hot pasta in a hot bowl- Keeping everything warm helps to keep the sauce together and smooth and avoid separation or seizing.
FAQs
To avoid scrambling the eggs, take the pan off the heat, then pour the raw egg mixture along with the pasta water into the hot pasta and begin stirring immediately. Toss as quick as you can and for as long as the sauce needs to fully come together. The hot pasta cooks them just enough that they thicken the carbonara sauce to a creamy texture.
While they don’t need to be, it helps if the eggs are room temperature. They incorporate more easily into the sauce, creating a smooth, velvety, and light texture. So try to take your eggs out of the fridge a little beforehand. You can also place the un-cracked eggs in a bowl of hot water to slightly warm them up.
It’s important to add the hot pasta to the bacon and then add the egg mixture with the pasta water. Doing this at the wrong time will affect the overall texture. You need the residual heat from the just-cooked pasta as well as the pasta water to create that creamy carbonara sauce for your spaghetti.
Serving Suggestions
This homemade Spaghetti Carbonara is great with so many other dishes. Its savory flavor means it pairs well with most appetizers, breads, and finished with a sweet dessert.
- Breads: Serve this with Garlic Cheese Bread, Focaccia Bread, Rustic Bread (overnight), or Copycat Pizza Hut Breadsticks.
- Salads: This Pasta Pomodoro is delicious with an Antipasto Salad, Caprese Salad, Smoked Salmon Salad, or Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad.
- Appetizers: Start the meal with some Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Smoked Salmon Appetizer (VIDEO), Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, or Eggplant Roll-ups.
- Desserts: Finish the meal with some delicious Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, Easy Opera Cake, or Easy Napoleon Cake (VIDEO).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Because this is a tricky dish to heat up, I don’t advise making it ahead of time. It’s pretty quick to make – less than 20 minutes – so you should be able to prep it quickly, even on busy nights.
Storing: Store the Spaghetti Carbonara in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator once it’s fully cooled. It will stay fresh for about 4 days. Reheating this dish is a little iffy, as the sauce will be quite cold. The best way to do it is to heat a little bit of water in a pan and then turn the temperature to low. Add the spaghetti carbonara and stir until it’s warmed through and the sauce has come together again.
Freeze: It’s best not to freeze your carbonara as the sauce will separate and become grainy from the freezing and thawing process.
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Full Recipe Instructions
Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb spaghetti pasta
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup pasta water 
Instructions
- Start off by preparing your egg and cheese mixture. In a bowl whisk together 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks along with 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Then Set it aside for later.
- Place 1 pound of spaghetti pasta in a pot of salted boiling water. Cook the pasta al dente. And make sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Meanwhile add 8 chopped slices of thick-cut bacon into a cold skillet and turn the heat onto medium-high. Cook the bacon until it becomes brown and crispy (about 5-7 minutes).
- Then quickly stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and stir for about 20 seconds or just until the garlic becomes fragrant. You want to be careful not to burn the garlic. Then turn the heat off.
- Once your pasta has cooked, use tongs to add the pasta into the bacon while it’s still hot straight from the pot.
- Then pour in the egg and cheese mixture and 1/2 cup of water. Stir as quickly as you can so the eggs don’t scramble from the heat.
- Continue stirring for about a minute until the sauce comes together. Add more salt according to your tastebuds. You should end up with a smooth and silky carbonara sauce once it’s finished.
- Make sure to plate the carbonara immediately and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs for easier incorporation.
- Add the egg mixture to the hot pasta for enough heat to thicken the eggs in the sauce.
- Use pasta water with the egg mixture because the starch binds everything together.
- Use egg yolks because they are the number one reason your carbonara sauce is creamy and rich without any cream being added.
- Serve your hot pasta in a hot bowl to keep the sauce together and smooth.
Nutrition
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Ashlee says
Very tasty, we made the authentic revisions.
Only thing I will add more egg and cheese for creamy sauce next time, it was a bit dry for our liking.
But otherwise very good!
Dina says
Thank you for the honest feedback Ashlee!
milla says
I’m a bit confused about the pasta water and egg mix. Do I add the pasta water to the egg mix then pour in the pan with the bacon, garlic, and pasta?
Or do I add the egg mix to the pasta then add the pasta water? Apologies if it should be obvious but this is my very first time making it. Would you mind clarifying that in the steps? Thanks!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Milla, you would need to pour the egg and cheese mixture and then pour the pasta water right after it. It’s best to keep the pasta moving with a spoon as you add the eggs and pasta water. I hope that helps clarify things. Let me know how it turns ou 🙂
Guido says
No garlic no Bacon you need guanciale or pancetta
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Guido, if you look through the recipe post, there I share details about how to make it more authentic by omitting the garlic, and using guanciale or pancetta, and using pecorino instead of parmesan cheese. I have tried both ways and my family along with many others prefer it this way. You are welcome to adjust the recipe to your liking 🙂