Bacon Carbonara
A classic Italian pasta dish with a silky egg and cheese sauce, made with crispy bacon. This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a special date night.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 6 ounces bacon, diced
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together the eggs, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, black pepper, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with the bacon fat. Toss to coat.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Gradually pour the egg and cheese mixture over the hot pasta, tossing constantly to create a creamy sauce. Add a little reserved pasta water at a time, if needed, to reach your desired consistency.
- Stir in the cooked bacon.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra black pepper and cheese.
Notes
- For a silkier sauce, temper the eggs by slowly whisking in a ladleful of hot pasta water before adding the egg mixture to the pasta.
- Use good quality bacon for the best flavor.
- Adjust the amount of cheese and pepper to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 200mg