Main Page
Fast and tasty
Spaghetti Carbonara classic

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

Really tasty and simple, quick to make, perfect for a family dinner! Classic spaghetti carbonara is a delicious dish for a fast breakfast or dinner. It's high in protein — which the guys will appreciate — and it's surprisingly easy to make, which the cooks in the house will love!

katushafin

Recipe author

Watch the video

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Spaghetti

160

Bacon (pancetta)

100

Eggs

Hard cheese (Pecorino Romano or Parmesan)

100

Olive oil

Ground black pepper

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 25 % 14 g

Fats 38 % 21 g

Carbohydrates 38 % 21 g

378 kcal

GI: 0 / 100 / 0

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

How do you make classic spaghetti carbonara? Gather your ingredients. Choose durum-wheat pasta — it tastes better and holds up without going mushy. The eggs should be very fresh, since they're barely cooked. Be sure to wash and dry them well before you start. Pancetta or ham works in place of the bacon.
Step 2:

Cut the bacon into small pieces.
Step 3:

Grate the cheese on the fine side of a grater.
Step 4:

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them well with a fork.
Step 5:

Add the cheese to the eggs, holding back a third for serving, along with a good amount of freshly ground black pepper.
Step 6:

Stir it together — this is the base for the sauce.
Step 7:

Heat a skillet over low heat. Pour in the olive oil and add the chopped bacon. Fry the bacon until the fat turns translucent. At the same time, put on a pot of water for the spaghetti — about 1 quart (1 liter) per 100 grams of pasta.
Step 8:

Set the skillet of cooked bacon aside. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling salted water. Go easy on the salt, since the cheese sauce will be salty. Cook the spaghetti for the time on the package, watching that it doesn't overcook — it should stay slightly firm, al dente.
Step 9:

From here there are two approaches. You can drain the spaghetti, pour the sauce into the pan with the bacon, and warm it gently — but then the eggs may scramble. So instead, I transfer the cooked spaghetti straight into the pan with the bacon and toss it.
Step 10:

Only then do I pour in the sauce. By then the pasta has cooled a bit, so the eggs don't scramble. All that's left is to toss the pasta well with the sauce. Serve the carbonara right away, hot, sprinkled with the reserved cheese and ground pepper. Don't skimp on the pepper — it's carbonara, after all.

I make spaghetti carbonara often, always with this recipe — no cream. The sauce comes out silky and smooth, coating every strand. So good! And fragrant, thanks to the fresh pepper.
How can you tell if an egg is fresh? Crack it into a separate dish. First, there should be no off smell. A fresh egg white is clear and clean, and the yolk holds together — glossy, domed, and even.
Always wash eggs before using them — even a shell that looks clean can carry harmful bacteria. A food-safe wash and a brush work best.
How do you cook pasta properly? Use a roomy pot with about 1 quart (1 liter) of water per 100 grams of pasta — the pieces need room to float freely. Salt it to taste and bring it to a boil. Always add the pasta to boiling water, or it may stick together. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until done or al dente (the package always lists the time). Drain it in a colander; there's no need to rinse cooked pasta. If you're not going to sauce it right away, return it to the pot from the colander and toss it gently with a teaspoon of olive oil (or a pat of butter) to keep it from clumping.
Real comfort food — spaghetti, bacon, eggs, and cheese. Traditionally, carbonara was dusted generously with ground pepper, which looks a lot like coal dust — hence the name, since "coal" in Italian is carbone.