This Spaghetti Carbonara is creamy and smooth, with a delicious savory flavor. If you follow this recipe, you’ll be serving the most amazing carbonara in no time.
If you love Italian food, then you should try our delectable Tuscan chicken pasta with some focaccia bread.
The best Spaghetti Carbonara
I’ll be honest with you, making a good Spaghetti Carbonara requires some effort. The recipe isn’t difficult and uses simple ingredients, but to make a smooth and rich carbonara sauce means working a little harder for it. This dish is a favorite because its savory bacon, freshly grated Parmesan, and flavorful garlic give it tons of taste. And the smooth, creamy sauce made just with eggs is phenomenal. Stick with me and I’ll have you making the best Spaghetti Carbonara you’ve ever served. If you prefer a more authentic version with guanciale or pancetta and pecorino romano, scroll down to the bottom of the post for more details!
What you’ll need
For this recipe, you’ll be using Eggs, Egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, Salt, Pepper, Spaghetti, Bacon, and Garlic cloves.
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 salted boiling 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.
How do you keep the eggs from scrambling?
One of the hardest things to do in this Spaghetti Carbonara recipe is to keep the eggs from scrambling. To avoid that, 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. Go 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.
Should the eggs be room temperature for carbonara?
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.
When should I add the eggs?
Make sure you are following the steps of adding the hot pasta to the bacon and then adding 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.
How to make it authentic
If you want to make spaghetti carbonara in the most authentic way possible, here are the ingredients you will need. You will need to omit the garlic completely, then substitute the bacon with guanciale or pancetta. Instead of parmesan, use pecorino romano. My family loves it with bacon and parmesan so thats how I make it at home. However you are welcome to make it more authentic if you prefer it that way.
How do I get a smooth and creamy spaghetti carbonara sauce?
In a nutshell, here are the best tips for the smoothest Spaghetti Carbonara sauce:
- 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.
What’s the best way to Serve this dish?
Spaghetti Carbonara is simple and flavorful. It tastes amazing with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley on top. Serve it in bowls or plates that have been warmed in the oven for a few minutes to avoid that gorgeous sauce from seizing up and separating.
Serve Spaghetti Carbonara with a fresh salad, like Spinach Salad, or start with an Easy Antipasto Salad. Some warm crusty Rustic Bread would be a nice addition, and then finish the meal with a slice of Tiramisu Cake. Yum!
How to Store and Reheat Spaghetti Carbonara
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.
More great Pasta recipes!
- Pasta Pomodoro Recipe
- Chicken Lasagna Recipe
- Creamy Tortellini Alfredo
- Creamy Tomato and Mushroom Rotini Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta (VIDEO)
- Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
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
Make the egg and cheese mixture
- 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.
Cook the bacon and garlic
- 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.
Add pasta, egg mixture, pasta water
- 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
- Tomato Basil Soup - September 16, 2024
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries - September 11, 2024
- Fried Zucchini - September 9, 2024
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 🙂