Name: 30-Minute Spaghetti Carbonara
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1.5 tablespoons salt; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 4 slices bacon; 5 cloves garlic; 4 eggs; 1.25 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese; 0.5 cup Italian parsley; 1 lb spaghetti; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

From the Cook

1/2

30-Minute Spaghetti Carbonara

OnlineCook Verified

Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

30-Minute Spaghetti Carbonara

1 ½ tablespoons salt(for pasta water, plus 1/2 tsp. for seasoning, divided)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 slices bacon(pepper bacon, pancetta, or regular thick-cut bacon, chopped)

5 cloves garlic(thinly sliced)

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup Italian parsley(roughly chopped)

1 lb spaghetti(broken in half)

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper(if not using pepper bacon, or more to taste)

Instructions

Bring 4 qt. hot tap water and 1 1/2 Tbsp. salt to a boil in a covered 6- to 8-qt. pot. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and remove pan from heat; the hot bacon fat will cook the garlic.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs to blend. Add Parmesan and parsley and whisk together. Set aside.

When the water comes to a boil, add spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender to bite (al dente), 8-9 minutes. Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot.

Add bacon, garlic, and bacon drippings to spaghetti along with half of the reserved pasta cooking water, and toss with tongs to coat. Whisk the remaining reserved pasta cooking water into the egg-cheese mixture. Pour over pasta and toss to coat. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, if you like. If you didn’t use pepper bacon, also add freshly ground pepper to the pasta and toss again. Serve immediately.

Smart Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

0
Review & Earn

Be the first to review this recipe and earn a 20% Bonus

Level up & unlock free Premium by reviewing recipes!

My Notes

Your kitchen notebook is waiting.

Whether it's a recipe tweak or an inspiration burst — jot it down here.

Tips & Tricks (5)

Silky Sauce Technique 🥚
Remove the pan from heat before adding eggs to prevent scrambling, creating a creamy emulsified sauce by quickly tossing hot pasta with the egg mixture.
Pasta Water Magic 💧
Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining; a few tablespoons can help adjust sauce consistency and help the eggs smoothly coat the spaghetta.
Bacon Crisp Perfection 🥓
Render bacon slowly over medium-low heat to achieve maximum crispness and extract the most flavor, which will infuse directly into the sauce.
Cheese Grating Hack 🧀
Use freshly grated Parmesan and grate it just before adding to the dish for maximum melting potential and most vibrant flavor.
Temperature Timing 🌡️
Work quickly when combining hot pasta with eggs to create a smooth sauce; the residual heat should cook the eggs without scrambling them.