This spaghetti carbonara recipe makes a creamy pasta of spaghetti, eggs, crisp pancetta and Parmesan, ready in about 25 minutes. It feeds 6, and the sauce comes together off the heat while the pasta is still hot.
Why This Recipe Works
The sauce is just eggs and cheese, with no cream. Beat the eggs with the Parmesan and parsley before the pasta goes in. That way the cheese melts evenly and the eggs coat each strand instead of clumping.
Frying the pancetta in lard, butter and olive oil gets it crisp and leaves a savory fat in the pan. The garlic only flavors that fat, so you discard it before the wine goes in. A splash of white wine, boiled down a little, cuts the richness.
Drain the pasta and toss it into the egg mixture while it is still hot. The heat cooks the eggs just enough to turn them into a glossy sauce. Go straight from bowl to pan, stir a couple of times and serve, so the eggs don’t set.
Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 pound 2 ounces spaghetti or spaghettoni (the largest spaghetti), fresh or dried
- Salt, for the pasta water
For the pancetta
- 1 ounce lard
- 1 ounce butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, slightly squashed
- 4 ounces pancetta or guanciale, cut into small chunks
- 5 tablespoons dry white wine
For the egg sauce
- 5 eggs
- 4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (or pecorino cheese for the purists)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
Cook the pasta and pancetta
- Boil the pasta: Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, following the package time. Start the pancetta while it boils, so everything finishes together.
- Crisp the pancetta: Heat the lard, butter and olive oil in a large pan. Fry the garlic and the pancetta or guanciale until the pieces turn crisp.
- Add the wine: Take out the garlic and throw it away. Pour in the white wine and boil it for a short while, so some of it evaporates and the sharp taste mellows.
Make the sauce and serve
- Beat the eggs: In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the grated Parmesan, the parsley and some salt and pepper. Mix just until combined, so the sauce stays smooth.
- Coat the pasta: Drain the pasta when it is ready and add it to the egg mixture right away. Stir well so every strand is coated, since the heat of the pasta cooks the eggs.
- Combine and serve: Tip the coated pasta into the pan with the pancetta or guanciale. Stir a couple of times and serve at once.
Recipe Tips
- Work off the heat: The pasta and the hot pan do all the cooking of the eggs. Keep stirring and serve right away, because eggs left sitting turn dry and grainy.
- Grate the cheese fresh: Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the eggs. Pre-grated cheese has anti-caking powder and can leave the sauce gritty.
- Choose your pork: Guanciale is richer and more savory than pancetta, but either works. Cut the pieces small so they crisp through and spread evenly across the pasta.
- Mind the eggs: The eggs end up only lightly cooked. If you are serving young children, pregnant guests or anyone with a weak immune system, use pasteurized eggs.
What To Serve With Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
Serve carbonara right away in warm bowls, with extra grated Parmesan and black pepper at the table. A simple green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil, plus some crusty bread, rounds out the meal.
How To Store
- Fridge: Carbonara is best eaten fresh. If you have leftovers, refrigerate them quickly in a covered container and eat them within 1 day.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring often, until hot all the way through. High heat will scramble the eggs.
- Freezer: Don’t freeze this dish. The egg sauce turns watery and grainy once thawed.
FAQs
Can I use bacon instead of pancetta?
Yes, though the taste will be smokier. Cut it into small pieces and fry it until crisp. Bacon can be saltier, so taste before you add any extra salt to the sauce.
Is it safe to eat the eggs in carbonara?
The eggs are only lightly cooked by the heat of the pasta. Fresh, good-quality eggs are the usual choice, and pasteurized eggs are a safer pick for children, pregnant guests and anyone with a weak immune system.
Can I make carbonara without wine?
Yes. The wine adds acidity that cuts the richness, but the dish still works without it. Skip that step, or add a small squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
Why did my carbonara sauce scramble?
The eggs got too hot. Make sure the bowl is not sitting over heat, work quickly, and stir the pasta in as soon as it is drained. If the pan is very hot, let it cool for a minute before you combine everything.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 6), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 690 kcal
- Total Fat: 31g
- Total Carbohydrate: 72g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
6
servings10
minutes15
minutes25
minutesClassic spaghetti with a silky egg and Parmesan sauce and crisp pancetta, finished with parsley. A quick dinner for 6 that is on the table in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the pasta
1 pound 2 ounces spaghetti or spaghettoni (the largest spaghetti), fresh or dried
Salt, for the pasta water
- For the pancetta
1 ounce lard
1 ounce butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, slightly squashed
4 ounces pancetta or guanciale, cut into small chunks
5 tablespoons dry white wine
- For the egg sauce
5 eggs
4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (or pecorino cheese for the purists)
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Boil the pasta: Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, following the package time. Start the pancetta while it boils, so everything finishes together.
- Crisp the pancetta: Heat the lard, butter and olive oil in a large pan. Fry the garlic and the pancetta or guanciale until the pieces turn crisp.
- Add the wine: Take out the garlic and throw it away. Pour in the white wine and boil it for a short while, so some of it evaporates and the sharp taste mellows.
- Beat the eggs: In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the grated Parmesan, the parsley and some salt and pepper. Mix just until combined, so the sauce stays smooth.
- Coat the pasta: Drain the pasta when it is ready and add it to the egg mixture right away. Stir well so every strand is coated, since the heat of the pasta cooks the eggs.
- Combine and serve: Tip the coated pasta into the pan with the pancetta or guanciale. Stir a couple of times and serve at once.
