Spaghetti Carbonara

A recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara that’s so easy to make and so incredibly delicious, you’ll never order it at your favorite trattoria ever again. This creamy pasta is perfect for low-key dinner parties, or just carb-loading on the couch with your favorite show.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 429kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
6 slices bacon chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
3 large eggs
1 cup Parmesan cheese grated, plus more for serving
fresh parsley minced, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a large serving bowl on middle rack (large enough to accommodate a pound of cooked pasta).
Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain well.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Carefully remove bowl from oven and add eggs, cheese, and pepper to taste (I like 1/2 teaspoon). Beat with a fork to combine. Immediately add pasta, bacon with garlic, and rendered fat and toss to combine.
Add a splash of pasta water until desired consistency is reached (it should be creamy), then season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with more cheese and freshly parsley, if desired.

Notes

Most Carbonara recipes I found use a skillet to heat the egg mixture which can be touchy and lead to scrambled eggs. I love Mark Bittman's method of using a bowl heated in the oven as described in his book, Dinner for Everyone.

Nutrition