This silky and delicious Pasta Carbonara is loaded with bacon, hard cheese and coated with a luscious egg mix. Restaurant style pasta in your own home – plus it’s so easy to whip up!
Bucatini Carbonara
Carbonara is one of those classic Italian dishes where simple ingredients come together to make something amazing. This easy pasta recipe is a great go-to for a busy weeknight. Savory, comforting and packed with flavor!
Looking for more Italian recipes? Try my Broccoli Chicken Alfredo and my Chicken Piccata Recipe
Why You’ll Love this Easy Pasta Carbonara:
- Bacon: Packed with crispy bacon for a savory crunch in every bite.
- Cheesy: The pasta is coated in a silky egg and cheese mix, adding depth to each forkful!
- Easy: This comes together with pantry stables and is ready in around 30 mins!
The egg gives the pasta an irresistibly creamy coating, kids will love this easy pasta recipe!
How to Make Pasta Carbonara
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cook the bacon in a large sautéed pan until crispy and add in the garlic.
- Whisk your egg and cheese mixture in a bowl.
- Add dry pasta to a pot of boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Mix the pasta with the bacon and garlic then toss in your egg cheese mix.
- Garnish, serve and enjoy!
Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish made with eggs, Pecorino Romano and/or Parmesan cheese, bacon, and black pepper.
I really love bucatini, which is what I used to make this dish, but you can use any long pasta you like!
Pasta carbonara is typically made with Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese, but you can use any combination of hard cheeses that you like.
Because the eggs in carbonara are not cooked to 160°F, they are considered raw. Consuming raw eggs is not recommended for young children and the elderly or immunocompromised, but is generally considered safe for healthy individuals.
This is one of the easiest and most delicious pasta dishes you can make, a super satisfying weeknight meal!
Storage Instruction
I really recommend eating pasta carbonara while it’s fresh. Once refrigerated, the sauce loses its silky texture, but is still safe to eat for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing pasta carbonara.
Carbonara Substitutions
It’s easy to make pasta carbonara your own. Here are some easy ways to customize it:
- Swap oil for the butter
- Swap pancetta for the bacon
- Swap your favorite hard cheese or a combination of hard cheeses for the Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese
- Use your favorite pasta shape
- Add heavy cream to the sauce for a richer flavor
Tips for Great Pasta Carbonara
- Use freshly grated cheeses. They will melt better and give the dish a richer flavor.
- Stir the egg mixture quickly into the pasta, which should be hot enough to cause the eggs to begin to cook and thicken, but not so hot that it scrambles the eggs.
- Carbonara takes practice! Don’t get discouraged if your sauce is a little lumpy the first few times you make it.
With only a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this classic Italian pasta dish in no time! Cheesy, savory with a punch of garlic – this is Italian comfort food at its simplest and most delicious!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Pasta Carbonara Recipe
This silky and delicious Pasta Carbonara is loaded with bacon, hard cheese and coated with a luscious egg mix, restaurant style pasta in your own home – this recipe so easy to whip up!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
-
While the water comes to a boil, heat the butter in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and transfer the contents to a large heat-proof bowl.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 8 ounces bacon, 2 cloves garlic
-
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and cheeses. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, black pepper
-
Add the dry pasta to the boiling water and cook it to just al dente according to the instructions on the box. Using flip flops, quickly transfer the wet pasta to the bowl with the bacon and garlic (but do not discard the pasta water). Toss everything together and allow it to cool slightly.
16 ounces dry bucatini pasta
-
Add the egg and cheese mixture to the warm pasta, tossing to combine and adding reserved pasta water as needed to make it moist and creamy.
-
Serve immediately, garnishing with parsley, Paremsan cheese, and black pepper as desired.
Ratings
- Use freshly grated cheeses. They will melt better and give the dish a richer flavor.
- Stir the egg mixture quickly into the pasta, which should be hot enough to cause the eggs to begin to cook and thicken, but not so hot that it scrambles the eggs.
- Carbonara takes practice! Don’t get discouraged if your sauce is a little lumpy the first few times you make it.
Storage: While I recommend enjoying pasta carbonara the day it’s made, store carbonara in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Pasta Carbonara Recipe
Amount Per Serving
calories 862
Calories from Fat 351
%Daily Value*
fat 39g60%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Trans-Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 15g
Cholesterol 289mg96%
Sodium 803mg35%
Potassium 461mg13%
Carbohydrates 88g29%
fiber 4g17%
Sugar 3g3%
protein 35g70%
Vitamin A 577IU12%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 304mg30%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
