Description
This creamy bacon carbonara pasta is a luscious Italian-inspired dish featuring al dente spaghetti coated in a silky sauce made from eggs, Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream, combined with crispy diced bacon and fragrant garlic. A perfect comfort meal that’s both indulgent and simple to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 400 g spaghetti or pasta of choice
Bacon & Aromatics
- 150 g bacon, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
Seasoning & Garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Cook Bacon: Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and diced bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, but not burned.
- Mix Sauce: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Combine Ingredients: Reduce the heat to low and return the cooked pasta to the skillet. Quickly add the bacon back into the skillet, then pour the egg and cream mixture over the pasta.
- Create Sauce: Mix everything well, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated. Gradually add a little of the reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce and help the sauce adhere to the pasta.
- Finish Sauce: Keep stirring until the sauce thickens and coats the spaghetti. Make sure to remove the skillet from the heat before the eggs scramble.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnishing with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency and help bind the sauce to the pasta.
- Remove skillet from heat when mixing in the eggs to avoid scrambling.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for best flavor and smooth sauce texture.
- Can substitute bacon with pancetta for a traditional carbonara twist.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or omit it altogether.
