Easy Spaghetti Carbonara
A creamy, cheesy pasta you can make in 25 minutes with just eggs, bacon and parmesan. No cream needed — this is the real, down-to-earth Roman way.
Prep time10 min
Cook time15 min
Total time25 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 400g spaghetti
- 150g bacon or pancetta, diced
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 80g parmesan, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- Black pepper, to taste
- Salt, for the pasta water
Instructions
- 1Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
- 2While the pasta cooks, fry the diced bacon in a dry pan over medium heat until crisp. Add the garlic for the last minute, then remove the garlic.
- 3In a bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and most of the parmesan with plenty of black pepper.
- 4Drain the pasta, saving a cup of the cooking water, and add the pasta straight into the warm (but off-heat) bacon pan.
- 5Pour in the egg mixture and toss quickly, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce turns silky — not scrambled.
- 6Serve at once with the rest of the parmesan and extra pepper.
Tips
- Take the pan off the heat before adding the eggs, or they will scramble.
- Starchy pasta water is the secret to a silky sauce — add it a little at a time.
- Use real parmesan or pecorino; pre-grated cheese won't melt the same way.
