Carbonara
Carbonara is a rich and creamy pasta dish with the perfect amount of garlic and just the right amount of bacon to give the dish a little extra pizazz. If you are into Alfredos and delicious pasta dishes, we just took it up a notch with this Carbonara recipe. This meal is for you!
Serve with Tomato Burrata Salad and Garlic, Balsamic, Fig Flat Bread for a great meal.
I grew up in a home that ate a lot of pasta, from Shrimp Scampi, and Baked Spaghetti, but we also loved Eggplant Parmesan, and basic Homemade Marinara. But there is just something about the creaminess, saltiness, and flavor of Carbonara that I can’t get enough of. I love this meal because it is filling, flavorful, and fast. This dish does not take all afternoon to make.
While I love a classic, creamy Fettuccine Alfredo, I love the richer depth of flavor that Carbonara offers, while still satisfying that creamy craving.
What You Need to Make Carbonara
This meal is so, so good. Let’s get shopping.
- Eggs
- Pecorino Cheese (grated)
- Heavy Cream
- Thick Cut Bacon
- Garlic Cloves
- Pepper
- Dry White Wine
- Salt
- Spaghetti
How to Make This Creamy Carbonara
Making this carbonara is simple and quick. First, begin to boil the water. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, cheese, and cream. Then cook bacon and after removing the bacon from the skillet cook the spices. Incorporate the spice mixture with the egg mixture. Next, simmer the wine and combine it with the egg mixture. Cook the pasta and incorporate with the other prepared ingredients. Lastly, my favorite, serve and enjoy every last bite! Pretty simple right?
Step one: Boil Water.
In a large pot on the stove over high heat, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.
Step two: Whisk Together Eggs, Cheese, and Cream.
In a medium sized bowl, add eggs, Pecorino Romano, and cream. Then whisk together.
Step three: Cook Bacon and then Garlic, and Pepper.
Bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a small bowl and with a slotted spoon pour off about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
Add Garlic and Pepper: Add these two ingredients to the skillet and cook over medium heat, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Step four: Incorporate Garlic Mixture with the Egg Mixture.
Slowly whisk the garlic mixture into the egg mixture and then set the bowl aside.
Step five: Simmer the Wine in the Skillet and then Combine with the Egg Mixture.
- Using the same skillet, add the wine and simmer it over medium heat.
- Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the browned bits.
- Slowly whisk the wine mixture into the egg mixture. Then set aside.
Step six: Cook the Pasta.
Meanwhile, add the salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Stir often and cook until the pasta is al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Step seven: Incorporate Pasta with Other Ingredients and Serve.
- Immediately pour pasta over egg mixture.
- Toss to combine and incorporate a ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, while doing so.
- Add the bacon and using the remaining cooking water, thin the sauce as necessary.
- Serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks
Making this recipe is Eazy Peazy…
- Skip the cheap spaghetti: Skip the cheap stuff, and get a great pasta. I like Barilla, Ronzoni, or De Cecco Spaghetti is the best. It has a nutty, buttery flavor, and superb texture.
- Curdled eggs will ruin your carbonara: Don’t let this happen. Make sure to whisk the eggs constantly when adding the hot ingredients to the egg mixture so they do not curdle.
- Make sure to use Pecorino Romano Cheese: Pecorino Romano is a sharply flavored sheep’s milk cheese that is necessary for the dish.
- Freshly ground pepper is a must: Pre-ground pepper is sub par in comparison to fresh. Pre-ground pepper gives carbonara a timid, dusty flavor. Note: To get the best flavor, be sure to add the pepper to the bacon fat.
- Make sure eggs are at room temperature, not cold: Cold eggs may affect the consistency, resulting in a less smooth sauce.
Make Ahead and Storage
How to make this recipe ahead of time:
Carbonara will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Storage: Once Carbonara is cool, place the spaghetti in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat and Eat: When ready to eat, microwave Carbonara in a microwave safe dish covered with a paper towel to prevent splattering or heat on the stove in a skillet with some olive oil, tossing continually.
Freezer:
While you can freeze Carbonara the integrity of the dish won’t be as good. I recommend eating it fresh or storing it in the fridge for a few days.
Carbonara will become your new favorite pasta dish. I can’t wait for you to try it.
Other Great Recipes:
- Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
- Easy Pasta Bake
- Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
- One Pot, Sausage, Chard, and Pine Nut Orecchiette Pasta
- Chicken Sausage and Peas Alfredo Pesto Skillet Pasta
Carbonara
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ounces Pecorino Cheese grated (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ pound thick cut bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
- On the stove top, on high heat, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot for the pasta.
- In a medium sized bowl, add eggs, Pecorino Romano, and cream then whisk it together and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon pieces in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add garlic and pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then remove from heat, and slowly whisk the garlic mixture into the egg mixture. Set aside.
- 3: Using the same skillet, add the wine to the skillet and simmer over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove browned bits. Cook for about 5 minutes, until reduced by half. Then slowly whisk the wine mixture into the egg mixture. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add the salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring often, until pasta is al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Immediately pour the egg mixture over the pasta and toss it to combine. While tossing, add ½ cup of the reserved cooking water.
- Add the bacon and using the remaining cooking water, thin the sauce as necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
Curdled eggs will ruin your carbonara. To prevent this from happening, be sure to whisk it constantly when adding the hot ingredients to the egg mixture.
Use Pecorino Romano, you want a sharply flavored sheep’s milk cheese, so do not make a substitution here.
Use fresh ground black pepper. The pre-ground pepper can give a dusty flavor. Add your fresh ground pepper to the bacon fat for the best flavor.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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