Pasta Carbonara

When I’m looking for a meal that can be on the table in minutes, I turn to shrimp stir fry, baked salmon and this simple yet satisfying spaghetti carbonara. Got a little more time? Be sure to try my slow cooker bolognese sauce for another great pasta dinner option.

You can never go wrong with pasta, especially if there’s cheese and bacon involved! This pasta carbonara is a favorite in my house – my family loves the savory flavors, and I love that I always have the ingredients on hand for an easy dinner.

What is pasta carbonara?

Pasta carbonara is a dish that hails from Rome and it always includes a hard Italian cheese, pork, egg and pepper. The result is a creamy pasta with rich flavors that isn’t as heavy as an Alfredo sauce. While some recipes for carbonara require expensive or tricky ingredients, my recipe transforms everyday foods into a mouthwatering dish. My recipe uses bacon, egg and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. These ingredients may be more authentic than some versions of carbonara as some believe the dish gained popularity after World War II when Italians ate bacon and eggs provided by the United States.

How do you make pasta carbonara?

To make carbonara, the first step is to make the pasta. Be sure to reserve some of the cooking water, you’ll need it later on to thin out the sauce. The pasta is poured into a pan along with cooked bacon, and a sauce of eggs and parmesan cheese goes over the top. The heat from the pasta will gently cook the egg mixture without curdling the sauce. Add a little more bacon and cheese with a sprinkle of parsley, then dinner is served.

Tips for spaghetti carbonara

Be careful not to have heat on the bacon pan when you pour in the eggs and cheese to avoid scrambling the eggs. For a smoother sauce, you can add 1/4 cup heavy cream to the eggs and Parmesan cheese mixture. For a spicier dish, add some red pepper flakes to the eggs and Parmesan cheese mixture. You will likely not have to use all of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce – just add a little at a time until you reach a consistency that you like.

Carbonara variations

Classic pasta carbonara is delicious but you can also easily customize it to suit your taste preferences.

You can use diced ham, prosciutto or pancetta instead of bacon for a meatier dish. Try adding peas to the pan while you are tossing the pasta to have a vegetable component in the dish. Other long types of pasta can be used such as linguine, fettuccine or angel hair pasta. Use pecorino romano instead of parmesan for a bolder cheese flavor.

This carbonara is an excellent way to enjoy the flavors of Rome with every day ingredients. You’ll love this satisfying dish!