Spaghetti Carbonara
- SERVES
- 4
- COOK TIME
- 20 Min
You won't find any red sauce here! Spaghetti Carbonara is a traditional Italian dish that's made with spaghetti pasta, bacon, and cheese. It's a creamy pasta dish that's kind of addicting. Once you try our easy recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara, we have a feeling you'll be having it a lot more often. It's super easy to make, and packed so full of flavor, you'll want to add this to your weekly menu!
What You'll Need
- 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti
- 8 bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
What to Do
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon and onion 8 to 10 minutes or until bacon is crispy, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and remove from heat; drain off excess liquid.
- In a large pot, whisk together half-and-half, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, the egg, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add spaghetti and bacon mixture to pot and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- This Spaghetti Carbonara recipe is only the beginning! Have fun and check out our No-Fail Italian Favorites for even more great ideas!
- Make sure to check out our 5-star Italian desserts, like our potluck-perfect Best Cannoli Dip and these from-scratch Italian Pastry Squares!
Up Next:
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Nutritional InformationShow More
Servings Per Recipe: 4
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Calories 866
- Calories from Fat 367
- Total Fat 41g 63 %
- Saturated Fat 18g 92 %
- Trans Fat 0.0g 0 %
- Protein 30g 61 %
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Cholesterol 133mg 44 %
- Sodium 789mg 33 %
- Total Carbohydrates 93g 31 %
- Dietary Fiber 4.1g 16 %
- Sugars 4.2g 0 %
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ceh
Apr 03, 2020
I made this and it looked like the cream had curdled or the egg was bad. Any suggestions?
Test Kitchen Team
Apr 06, 2020
Hi there! The Alfredo sauce wasnt curdled. What happened was when you add bottled grated Parmesan to cream mixture it will take on that curdled look. If you use fresh grated Parmesan that comes out a little smoother looking. Bottled grated cheese is heavier than fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Hope that helps!
MrSoul
Oct 23, 2019
Very good and fairly easy except for multiple pots and cleanup. I added a small amount of leftover chopped chicken to the bacon skillet. In my opinion, the sauce doesnt make enough for a full lb. of pasta.
suecaldwell2003 78 38387
Jul 01, 2014
Instead of ordinary bacon, use pancetta. Add about a quarter to a half cup of white wine. 'Temper' the raw egg by adding a ladle of water from the pot you cooked the pasta in to keep it from getting *too* cooked before you toss it. This is an all-time favorite at our house.
thetammyjo 1111005
Jun 30, 2014
Why are you adding in so many things to this recipe? I learned to make this in Italy from an Italian lady. It shouldn't have more in it than eggs, cream, bacon, parmesan, black pepper in the summer or paprika in the winter.
Dawn 5077626
Feb 25, 2014
Wondering if you could throw this in the oven for second heating.. maybe topped with some mozzarella cheese??? Any thoughts?
ctilton5 2514126
Feb 25, 2014
I would use turkey bacon and fat free half and half which does very well in cooking. This would cut calories, etc. a lot and probably wouldn't change it too much. Of course nothing's as good a pork bacon.
tazapplewood 78773 90
Feb 25, 2014
Throw in some cooked chicken & WOW , chicken carbonara.. Yummy.
raabr 2651254
Apr 18, 2012
Do you drain the bacon grease fro the skillet?
enilnomomwow1 3469 282
Apr 18, 2012
I've used a similar recipe for this dish. That recipe uses more eggs & no 1/2 & 1/2. It also says to remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet. I think you could remove some, most or even all the bacon grease from this recipe without worrying about it being dry because of the 1/2 & 1/2. The bacon grease would add flavor along with all the fat, calories or cholesterol but you could adjust that to your personal tastes. Hope this helps.
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