Description
A classic Italian Spaghetti Carbonara recipe featuring crispy bacon, garlic, and a creamy sauce made from eggs and Parmesan cheese. This simple yet delicious pasta dish is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a comforting meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Aromatics
- 3 oz. bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Pasta and Sauce
- 12 oz. spaghetti
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided (½ cup + ¼ cup)
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Garnish
- Handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped (optional, about ¼ cup or 1/6 of a bunch)
Instructions
- Boil the pasta water: Fill a large pot with water and season with ½ tsp salt. Place a lid on the pot and bring it to a rapid boil over high heat.
- Cook the bacon: While the water heats, cut the bacon into small pieces. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until brown and crispy. Remove bacon from skillet and set aside.
- Sauté the garlic: Lower the skillet heat to low. Add minced garlic to the warm skillet and sauté for about one minute until fragrant and softened. Then turn off the heat.
- Prepare the egg mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, ½ cup of grated Parmesan, and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper until well combined.
- Cook the spaghetti: When the water is boiling, add spaghetti and stir well. Boil until al dente according to package instructions (about 8-10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta in a colander.
- Make the sauce base: Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet used for bacon. Stir to dissolve browned bacon bits and warm the liquid. Add the drained hot pasta to the skillet and toss to coat in the bacon-flavored water.
- Combine pasta with egg mixture: Pour the egg and Parmesan mixture over the hot pasta. Immediately stir or toss vigorously to combine. The residual heat will gently cook the eggs, creating a creamy sauce.
- Finish the dish: Add the remaining Parmesan, crispy bacon bits, and a bit more cracked pepper. Toss everything together. If the sauce is too thick or dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Adjust seasoning and garnish: Taste the pasta and adjust salt, pepper, or Parmesan as needed. Garnish with roughly chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- My handful of fresh parsley came out to about ¼ cup, roughly 1/6 of a bunch minced.
- Avoid putting too much salt in the pasta water initially as it can make the dish too salty once mixed with pasta. You can always adjust salt at the end to taste.
- The creamy sauce is created by the residual heat of the pasta cooking the egg and cheese mixture—avoid direct heat after adding eggs to prevent scrambling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 165 mg
