Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara is an Italian classic that’s a snap to prepare and will get rave reviews from your family!
This Bacon and Egg Pasta or Pasta alla Carbonara is easy comfort food!
Why You’ll Love:
- This classic Italian pasta is made with minimal ingredients.
- It’s quick and delicious!!
- You’ll be shocked at how creamy it is without a drop of cream!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Carbonara?
Carbonara is a pasta dish that hails from Rome and is made with 5 simple ingredients. The emulsified sauce is creamy without the addition of cream.
What is a traditional carbonara made of?
The ingredients in a classic carbonara include Spaghetti, Browned Guanciale, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Pecorino Romano, and beaten Eggs.
What is a Good Substitute for Guanciale?
Pancetta is another Italian cured meat made with pork and is a good substitute for Guanciale.
Is This Carbonara Recipe Authentic?
This recipe has a few nontraditional ingredients including onions, wine, and Parmesan in addition to the Romano cheese. Also, Pancetta was substituted for Guanciale. So carbonara connoisseurs would not consider this recipe to be authentic.
How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara
With the cooler autumn weather, our dinners have become heartier. Creamy pasta and a hot loaf of bread are perfect for a weeknight meal. Pancetta and onions were sautéed, then a bit of white wine added for flavor.
- Cook pancetta over medium heat, then add and cook the onion.
- Deglaze the pan with wine.
- Cook spaghetti in well-salted water till done.
- While pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, cheeses, pepper, and salt.
- Drain pasta and add to pancetta and onion mixture. Toss well over medium heat, till well mixed. Remove from heat and add egg mixture, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.
Tips for Making Carbonara Pasta
When I try new dinner recipes, especially those that aren’t slabs of beef, I hold my breath when the hubby takes his first bite. He grew up in a home where pizza was about as exotic as entrees would get. I shouldn’t have worried. He was a fan instantly. Creamy, salty, and hearty, this spaghetti carbonara is pure comfort food.
- The classic recipe uses Guanciale, but if it’s difficult to locate, use Pancetta as I did. Guanciale is made from pork cheek and Pancetta is made from pork belly.
- For a true carbonara, do not add cream.
- The creaminess comes from slowly cooking the beaten eggs and cheese at a temperature low enough to cook, but not scramble the eggs. Sometimes some pasta water is added as well since it provides starch to assist with thickening.
- With this recipe, the egg and cheese mixture is stirred into warm pasta which gently cooks the eggs.
- PRO-Tip: Cook the pasta in well-salted water. It should taste like sea water so that the salt infuses into the noodles. Salt added after the pasta is cooked will not taste as good.
- Make a smoked salmon carbonara recipe. Eliminate the pancetta and add strips of smoked salmon just before adding the pasta. It’s already cooked so does not need to be sautéed. This version is nice for Lent.
What to Serve with Carbonara:
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- The Best Caesar Salad Recipe
- Italian Sauteed Green Beans
- More of the Best Side Dish Recipes
You May Like:
- Chicken Carbonara Pasta from a Dish of Daily Life
- Penne with a Quick Sausage Sauce
- Ricotta Gnocchi
- Cheesy Baked Pasta with Prosciutto
- Ricotta Lasagna
- Spaghetti with Sunday Gravy
- More Pasta Recipes
Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara is an Italian classic that's a snap to prepare and will get rave reviews from your family!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup Parmesan
- 1/3 cup Romano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook pancetta in a saucepan over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add onion and continue cooking till the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add wine and cook till reduced by half.
- Cook spaghetti in well-salted water till done.
- While pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, cheeses, pepper, and salt.
- Drain pasta and add to pancetta and onion mixture. Toss well over medium heat, till well mixed.
- Remove from heat and add egg mixture, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Gourmet.
Bacon can be used in place of the pancetta.
The onion and wine are non-traditional but add a delicious depth of flavor.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 572Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 193mgSodium: 639mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 22g
71 Comments on “Spaghetti Carbonara”
Pls,do not use wine and onion. Their flavor cover the eggs and guanciale and the pepper. That three are the flavour that you must feel, they must be in good balance to make the dish salted, sweet, creamy and crispy. If you do not find guanciale use simple fresh bacon and if you do not find pecorino use only Parmesan,it’s not a bad mistake, but keep the balance with the ingredients and do not use something that cover other.
Thanks for your advice, Gabriele, much of this information is already in the post if you read the tips.
I guess I will have to finally try this. I didnt know it had onion in it. Certainly will be one on my list of must trys … looks great!
I love carbonara and yours looks amazing! Thanks for linking up at my pasta blog hop! Pinned 🙂
This is my favourite dish to make when I’m in a hurry. I use bacon and the wine is a great new addition for me.
Thank You.
Sara, I’m so glad I introduced this one to you!!!! I try not to make it too often as I feel the same way~
This really looks delicious! My mom likes to cook Carbonara. I’ll definitely recommend this recipe to her. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Great pics!
Thanks, everyone!!!! It’s a winner 🙂
Lovely carbonera. One of my husband’s favourite pasta dishes.
This looks and sounds divine, Lizzy!