Carbonara

Tender strands of pasta, swirled with creamy eggs, two types of cheese, and crisp bacon. This classic carbonara isn’t just comforting, it’s incredibly easy and ready in under 30 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword carbonara, pasta with eggs

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 545kcal

Author Robin Miller

Ingredients

1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/3 cup 1 ounce grated or shredded pecorino Romano
1/3 cup 1 ounce grated or shredded parmesan cheese, or Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces thick cut bacon or pancetta, or guanciale, diced
12 ounces spaghetti
Chopped fresh Italian parsley for serving

Instructions

Fill a large, shallow serving bowl with hot water and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, pecorino Romano, and parmesan cheese. Season with a pinch of salt and a liberal amount of black pepper. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered, and the bacon is crisped to your liking. Remove the pan from the heat and, if necessary, drain away excess bacon grease until you have about 1 tablespoon left. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions, until al dente.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water into the egg mixture.
If necessary, reheat the skillet of bacon of over medium-low heat.
Drain the serving bowl of hot water and immediately add the spaghetti, bacon, egg mixture, and 1/2 cup of the remaining pasta cooking water. Toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for creaminess.
Top with parsley and serve.

Nutrition