Creamy Pasta Carbonara
Classic Italian pasta carbonara with crispy bacon, eggs, parmesan cheese, and black pepper - simple yet incredibly delicious.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
4 people
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Instructions
Boil water in a large pot with salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
While pasta cooks, whisk eggs, grated parmesan, and black pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add diced bacon/pancetta and cook until crispy. Remove excess oil if needed.
Turn off heat and add drained hot pasta to the pan with bacon. Toss well to coat.
Quickly add the egg-cheese mixture while tossing continuously. The residual heat will cook the eggs into a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water if needed to adjust consistency.
Season with additional black pepper and salt if needed.
Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and extra parmesan cheese.
💡 Chef's Notes
The key is to work quickly and off heat when adding eggs to prevent scrambling. The heat from the pasta should be enough to create a silky sauce. Don't use cream - authentic carbonara doesn't need it!