I will never say no to pasta, and I am excited to share this very simple recipe for the classic dish, Pasta Carbonara. Pasta Carbonara is a popular Italian dish compromised of spaghetti, bacon, butter, eggs and cheese – that’s it! It also comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Who doesn’t love bacon and cheese, right? The main ingredients of this delicious pasta recipe. I recently acquired an Italian cook book, like a reeeeeal Italian cook book and I’ve been tagging certain recipe to make. Pasta carbonara was one of them. You will not believe just how easy this pasta is to make and how quickly it comes together. 

You simply fry up some bacon in butter with a little garlic, toss spaghetti in it, then pour some beaten eggs and parmesan cheese in and toss it all together. What’s left is this creamy indulgent, salty, smoky cheesy pasta. 

Eggs seem odd, right? I know I know. But it’s the egg that creates this coating all over the noodles and the eggs actually cook enough without curdling which is what creates the silky “sauce.” The bacon is the perfect smoky and salty crunch, and of course parmesan cheese gives it a cheesy sharp bite. 

We love this dish – the kids ate it up, too. Spaghetti noodles are my kiddos favorite, of course, so they typically will eat them with any sauce. I served this with some Italian greens with cucumbers, parmesan cheese and some balsamic dressing to balance the rich pasta. 

It’s indulgent and easy to cook, making it the perfect date night or small dinner party main course. Enjoy!

Yield: 3-4

Pasta Carbonara

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Spaghetti with bacon, egg and parmesan resulting in a rich classic Italian pasta dish.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare all of your ingredients - dice, measure, chop, stir, etc. (this recipe comes together quickly so it's important to plan ahead)
2. Heat butter in a large heavy sauté pan, add the diced bacon and clove of garlic, and fry until crispy. Remove garlic.
3. While the bacon is frying, boil spaghetti in salted water until al dente, about 9-10 minutes. Drain well.
4. Add spaghetti to the fried bacon and mix well. Then, remove from stove and stir in a pinch of pepper, beaten eggs, and half of the parmesan and pecorino cheese until the eggs begin to set. (the eggs should heat through to cook but not curdle). Once eggs have set and created a nice silky coating on the noodle, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and serve immediately. This goes well with a simple Italian salad with balsamic vinegar.