Pasta Carbonara Recipe
Classic Pasta Carbonara recipe has the best silky sauce put together with simple long pasta to create a classic dish filled with flavor.
Serving4 Servings
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 12 oz. spaghetti, or desired type of pasta
- Salt, to taste
For the pancetta:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 slices pancetta or thick-cut bacon, chopped (around 1 cup)
For the sauce:
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For garnish:
- Chopped parsley, as desired
Instructions
Cook the pasta:
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente or according to the package directions. Do not use more than 1 tablespoon of salt.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe.
Cook the pancetta:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring, until the fat renders the edge of crispiness but not hard. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the sauce:
- Whisk eggs, egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the pasta:
- At this point, the pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the cooked pancetta. Set it over medium heat and stir for a minute.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the egg-Parmesan mixture. Gradually add the pasta water until the desired consistency is reached. I have not used all the pasta water, but around ¾ of a cup. That is my preference.
Serve:
- Serve pasta warm, garnished with chopped parsley.
Notes
- Choose the type of pasta you like, but spaghetti remains the iconic pasta shape for this recipe. Tagliatelle or bucatini are great long-pasta options, or for short pasta, I recommend penne, rigatoni, or fusilli.
- If you can't find pancetta or don't want to purchase it, you can substitute bacon in its place
Nutrition
Calories: 594 kcal · Carbohydrates: 66 g · Protein: 24 g · Fat: 25 g · Saturated Fat: 9 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g · Trans Fat: 0.04 g · Cholesterol: 212 mg · Sodium: 518 mg · Potassium: 316 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 403 IU · Calcium: 191 mg · Iron: 2 mg