This homemade pasta carbonara recipe is a family favorite and for good reason. It’s a simple, fresh pasta featuring a rich sauce consisting of eggs and parmesan, topped with crispy bacon.
Our family loves pasta recipes. Pasta is on constantly on rotation for weeknight dinners. Whether it’s creamy lemon chicken pasta, creamy chicken and mushroom pasta, pumpkin pasta sauce with crispy sage leaves, or even just sourdough pasta topped with homemade marinara, everyone always leaves the table happy and with full bellies.
This pasta carbonara recipe is just as loved as the other pasta dishes in our home. Its cheesy, silky sauce and savory bacon flavor is sure to win anyone over!
Serve up warm bowls of this authentic carbonara alongside a fresh garden salad with lemon vinaigrette and sourdough garlic knots for a decadent, yet simplistic family dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy – This easy pasta carbonara recipe is quick to make. It is a great go-to recipe for when you need a 30 minute meal.
Simple Ingredients – I love meals that are made with whole and simple ingredients, and this recipe is made with only five!
Delicious – You’ll love this easy carbonara recipe. It has creamy flavors and comforting ingredients come together in every bite.
Ingredients
Eggs – Fresh, pasture raised or free range eggs are ideal for this Italian dish.
Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated is a must for this recipe. Using this opposed to pre-grated cheese allows it to incorporate smoothly, resulting in a more creamy sauce.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools You May Need
- Large Pot
How To Make Pasta Carbonara
Step 1: Heat a large pot of heavily salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
Step 2: While the pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon and cook for about 7 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently until cooked through but not quite crispy. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan and drain the rest.
Step 3: Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, black pepper, and parmesan cheese until combined.
Step 4: Add the cooked pasta to the bacon pan over low heat and add the egg mixture and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water.
Step 5: Stir frequently until a thick sauce forms, about 2 – 4 minutes. Add more starchy pasta water if desired for a thinner consistency.
Step 6: Serve with more parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper if desired and enjoy!
Tips
- Room temperature eggs are easier to incorporate into the dish and do not curdle and scramble as easily as cold eggs.
- When you are mixing in the eggs, it is crucial to keep it on low heat and stir constantly. This helps avoid scrambling of the eggs.
- Using a microplane to grate the parmesan cheese will allow it to incorporate and melt into the pasta more easily.
- Add fresh garden herbs to this dish to take it to the next level and make this dish your own.
Recipe FAQs
Spaghetti, parmesan, eggs and bacon are the four main components of spaghetti carbonara. It is a very simple yet delicious dish.
Adding in your egg mixture at too high of a heat is the reason that they will scramble in this homemade pasta recipe. The secret to a silky carbonara sauce is cooking on a low heat that will thicken the sauce without ending up with scrambled eggs.
Yes, you do add raw eggs into carbonara. This egg-based sauce is made up of raw eggs and parmesan cheese, which will give the final sauce its creamy texture.
More Dinner Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Country Style Ribs Recipe
- The Best Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup Recipe
- Stuffed Shells with Ricotta Cheese
- Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
- Easy Italian Beef In The Instant Pot
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Homemade Classic Pasta Carbonara Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta
- 10 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 whole eggs + 3 egg yolks, see note*
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving if desired
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of heavily salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon and cook for about 7 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently until cooked through but not quite crispy. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan and drain the rest.
- Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, black pepper, and parmesan cheese until combined.
- Add the cooked pasta to the bacon pan over low heat and add the egg mixture and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water.
- Stir frequently until a thick sauce forms, about 2 – 4 minutes. Add more starchy pasta water if desired for a thinner consistency.
- Serve with more parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Please double check amounts when using the multiplying feature in the recipe card.
- Room temperature eggs are easier to incorporate into the dish and do not curdle and scramble as easily as cold eggs.
- Low heat and stirring constantly is crucial when mixing in the eggs to avoid scrambling.
- Using a microplane to grate the parmesan cheese will allow it to incorporate and melt into the pasta more easily.
- Add fresh garden herbs to this dish to take it to the next level and make this dish your own.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good. It’s a family favorite.
Thank you Lisa. Aria