Go Back
+ servings

Easy and Delicious Spaghetti Carbonara

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Spaghetti Carbonara is an easy Italian dish to make at home. During our travels in Italy, we enjoyed it countless times from our hosts and at local restaurants. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed my bowls of Spaghetti Carbonara in Italy!
4.41 from 10 votes
Print Pin Save
Author: Christina

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound thick spaghetti
  • 3/4 pound pancetta diced in 1/4 cubes
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 5 eggs
  • 1/2 cup grated fresh Pecorino Romano
  • 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano ​Reggiano​o
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup pasta water
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

  • Place a pot of slightly salted water over high high heat and bring to a boil. Tip: ALWAYS slightly salt your pasta water, a pinch of salt will do.
  • Smash your garlic cloves. Then in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the smashed garlic gloves and the pancetta. Cook the pancetta until the edges are beginning to crisp. Once crisp, lower the heat and deglaze the skillet with the white wine. Continue to cook until the wine has evaporated. Remove the smashed garlic cloves (save these for later) and set aside the skillet from the heat.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. Then whisk in both cheeses, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  • Once the water has reached a boil, cook the thick spaghetti until al-dente (typically 11-12 minutes). Ladle 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Tip: pasta water is a natural thickening agent for sauces because it has starchiness from the cooked pasta. Then drain the pasta.
  • Add the spaghetti to a large bowl and pour the egg-cheese mixture over it. Quickly toss the mixture with the pasta. The steam from the pasta will "cook" the raw eggs without curdling them. Then add the leftover pasta water (to your liking - you do not have to use the entire 1/2 cup), and pancetta and continue to toss until the spaghetti is coated and everything is mixed well.
  • When you serve the spaghetti carbonara, sprinkle the chopped fresh parsely on top. You can also add grated cheese, fresh cracked pepper, and mince the leftover garlic for additional flavor.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Notes

Al-dente is the traditional way to cook pasta. It means "to the tooth", so when the pasta is cooked with a nice bite to it. Tip: if you happen to have leftovers, when you reheat the pasta in the microwave or saute pan, add a little water to refresh the sauce and pasta.
Tried this recipe?Tag @our_sweet_adventures on Instagram