Spaghetti Carbonara
30-minute Spaghetti Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish made with eggs, cheese, bacon, and garlic.
Servings: 5
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- large pot
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Large heavy-bottomed skillet
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt (for the pasta water)
- 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti (plus water needed to boil it)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- ½ cup grated parmesan (plus more for garnish)
- ½ cup grated pecorino romano
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (for garnish - optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt. Add the spaghetti to the pot and cook per the package’s instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 3 cups of the pasta water, and set aside.
- Sauté the bacon. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the skillet followed by the bacon. Sauté until the bacon is nice and crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the bacon grease in the skillet.
- Whisk. Whisk together the eggs and the cheese and set aside
- Sauté the garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic to the skillet with the bacon grease. Season with pepper. Sauté on medium heat until fragrant.
- Deglaze. Add 1 ½ cups of the pasta water to the skillet and stir, knocking any brown bits left behind by the bacon off of the bottom of the pan.
- Temper. Whisk ½ cup of pasta water into the egg mixture very slowly while stirring to bring the egg mixture up to temperature without scrambling the eggs. Otherwise, they will get chunky.
- Put it all together. Add the spaghetti to the skillet and stir. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the bacon, the egg mixture, and the pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted*.
- Serve. Serve warm sprinkled with fresh parsley and a pinch of grated parmesan.
Notes
* The heat from the skillet should melt the cheese. If not, go ahead and return the skillet to the burner and cook over very low heat until the cheese has melted, stirring continuously. If the sauce is too thick, add a little extra pasta water.
Storage Instructions:
- To store. Once the pasta has cooled completely, seal it in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat. Allow the leftover carbonara to thaw in the fridge (if frozen) before transferring it to a baking dish. Add a splash of water or broth, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until warm. Alternatively, microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.
