Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara is a classic and rich pasta. The combination of egg and cheese create the creamy sauce while the pancetta provides crunchy flavor crystals. This dependable pasta is perfect for any night of the week and one that we keep in our monthly rotation.

It's National Pasta Day! What better way for the Heirloom Pantry to celebrate than with a rich & creamy pan full of spaghetti carbonara? The crispy pancetta and cheesy egg sauce make every al dente bite of spaghetti delectable. I honestly recommend having cheese, eggs, and pancetta in your fridge at all times so you can whip up a batch of creamy heaven at a moment's notice.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip
• Did You Like This Recipe?
• Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

I personally love to make this spaghetti carbonara recipe in my 12-inch Made In Cookware Fry Pan. Its 5-layered stainless steel construction cooks the ingredients evenly and its ergonomic handle makes handling a breeze.

Ingredients

• Pasta - Pasta is essential to carbonara. It's best served with a thin, long noodle that can be coated in the cheesy and eggy sauce, such as spaghetti or bucatini.
• Extra virgin olive oil - A tasty fat to cook the pancetta in.
• Pancetta cubetti - Pancetta are flavor crystals that add crunchy protein.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino romano - Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino romano cheese make the sauce rich and creamy. The two cheeses are often used interchangeably but are made of two types of milk and have distinct flavors. Parmigiano-Reggiano is made of unpasteurised cow's milk and pecorino is a hard cheese made of sheep's milk, which gives it a uniquely sharp flavor. Cacio e pepe is only as delicious as the cheese you use. Do not use the cheese in the green can or it will clump.
• Pasta water - Pasta cooking water is an essential ingredient for this pasta recipe. The pasta cooking water is starchy and creates a creamy sauce when mixed with the cheese.
• Whole Eggs and Egg yolk - The egg whites combine with the pasta water starch to thicken the sauce while the yolk adds richness. The egg yolks also act as an emulsifier to bing the pork fat and the sauce, making the sauce stick together.
• Freshly ground black pepper - Black pepper adds the signature spice to the pasta..
• Salt - Salt adds flavor to the pasta when added to the pasta water.
• Fresh parsley - Parsley adds a spicy and earthy garnish.

Instructions

1. Boil pasta - In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente. As soon as you add the spaghetti to the water, start the sauce.
2. Cook pancetta - On medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the pancetta and cook for 4-5 minutes until the fat is golden and rendered.
3. Mix ingredients then drain pasta - In a medium bowl, whisk the cheese and eggs with freshly ground pepper and salt. Right before the spaghetti is done cooking, reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water and set aside. Drain the rest of the spaghetti and transfer the pasta to the skillet.
4. Mix pasta and ingredients together - Toss the pasta in the pancetta and oil until well coated. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for about a minute, then quickly toss the spaghetti with the egg mixture, ensuring the eggs do not scramble. Add some of the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the mixture and create a sauce. Add parsley and mix until the spaghetti is evenly coated.
5. Serve and enjoy - Plate immediately and serve with cheese.

Substitutions

• Bacon - Use finely chopped bacon instead of pancetta if you want a smokier and richer tasting meat.
• Guanciale - Guanciale means cured pork jowl and is the traditional meat for carbonara. It tastes similar to pancetta, but has a slightly softer texture.
• Gluten Free Spaghetti - Use a gluten free spaghetti if you are gluten intolerant. We only recommend Garofalo Gluten Free Spaghetti, which tastes like traditional wheat based pasta.
• Tonnarelli - Substitute this type of pasta for spaghetti if you prefer a thicker pasta. Tonnarelli, also known as spaghetti alla chitarra, is great because it has a rough and textured surface that holds onto sauces well.
• Bucatini - Instead of spaghetti, use bucatini pasta to make Bucatini Cacio e Pepe. Bucatini is a spaghetti-like noodle that has a hole in the center, which catches sauces well.
• Homemade Pasta - Use homemade pasta from scratch instead of store bought spaghetti.

Variations

• Shallot - Add shallot to the pasta for a light and sweet heat to the dish.
• Garlic - If you want to add a hint of garlic, slice one clove in half and add it to the pan when you are cooking and mixing the ingredients.
• Spicy - Add more black pepper or red chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.

Equipment

This Spaghetti Carbonara recipe requires common kitchen essentials. To make this pasta, you need a knife, cutting board, mixing bowl, cheese grater, tongs, measuring cup, skillet or non-stick pan, and medium or large pot or dutch oven. 

To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to our Kitchen Essentials Shop.

Storage

Pasta carbonara is best enjoyed immediately. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge up to one day. To reheat leftover carbonara spaghetti, heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the leftover pasta and use tongs to gently separate the pasta in the pan to cook. Place a lid on top of the pan and allow it to reheat, about 3 minutes.

Top Tip

Carbonara sauce is only as delicious as the ingredients you use. We recommend using authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, and not using parmesan cheese from the green can or it will clump.

Did You Like This Recipe?

If you liked this spaghetti alla carbonara, please rate and comment on the recipe below! If you want more recipes like this carbonara, check out our other pasta dishes like Cacio e Pepe with Burrata, Traditional Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese), Pumpkin Ravioli (Uovo in Raviolo), and Heart Shaped Goat Cheese Ravioli.