Pasta Carbonara

Table of Contents

1. What Is Carbonara Pasta?
2. What Does Carbonara Mean In Italian?
3. Pasta Carbonara Recipe Ingredients
4. Substitution And Additions For Pasta Alla Carbonara
5. How To Make Carbonara Pasta
6. How To Serve This Bacon Carbonara Recipe
7. Pasta Carbonara Recipe Storage
8. Why We Love This Creamy Carbonara Pasta Recipe
9. FAQs For Bacon Carbonara
10. More Recipes You’ll Love
11. JUMP TO RECIPE
12. Even More Easy Recipes

Pasta carbonara is a classic Italian recipe that is surprisingly easy to make. This rich pasta has a creamy sauce made by mixing cheese and eggs with noodles and topped with tangy Romano cheese and crispy bacon.

What Is Carbonara Pasta?

Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish from Rome made with eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper.

What Does Carbonara Mean In Italian?

The word carbonara is derived from the word carbonara, which means coal miner or coal burner. It was believed this hearty pasta dish was originally served to coal miners.

Pasta Carbonara Recipe Ingredients

The flavor of pasta carbonara is creamy and rich due to the combination of eggs and cheese. The bacon adds a salty smokiness that complements the creaminess of the sauce.

Whether served as a main course or as part of a larger meal, carbonara with bacon is sure to please any pasta lover’s taste buds.

Here are the ingredients you need to make our recipe:

• 3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• 1¼ cups of grated pecorino Romano cheese, divided into 1 cup and ¼ cup
• 10 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 (16-ounce) box of linguine pasta
• ½ pound of bacon, diced
• 2 teaspoons of fresh minced garlic
• 1 to 1½ cups of reserved starchy pasta water (from the cooked pasta)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

Substitution And Additions For Pasta Alla Carbonara

PASTA: While traditional carbonara recipes are made with long pasta noodles, any style of noodles would work for this recipe.

To stick with a longer noodle, you could also use spaghetti, bucatini, or angel hair pasta. I do not suggest a thicker noodle like fettuccine, as it becomes too many noodles for this delicate sauce. 

CHEESE: This simple dish is traditionally made with pecorino Romano cheese, but a great substitute would be grated parmesan or a blend of the two kinds of cheese.

I suggest getting freshly grated cheese because it will melt into your sauce much easier and smoother, as the freshly grated cheeses typically do not have additives in the container to prevent clumping.

BACON: A thick-cut bacon would yield heartier bacon crumbles in your final dish if you choose it as a substitute.

You can also substitute pancetta, however, it is not smoked like bacon, so you will not get that smoky taste in your final dish like the bacon will give.

How To Make Carbonara Pasta

You might think you must have a lot of skills to make carbonara, but it’s not true! It’s actually super easy to prepare. With just a few ingredients and some cooking basics, you can have this classic pasta dish ready in no time.

For our recipe, we’re cooking the pasta separately, draining it, and then adding it into the same pan with all of the other ingredients.

Cooking the pasta separately makes this recipe much easier because it helps you avoid overcooking or undercooking it.

Here’s how you make our recipe:

STEP ONE: In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the whole eggs, egg yolks, black pepper, and one cup of the grated pecorino cheese. Set aside.

STEP TWO: Bring an 8-quart large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.

Once your water is boiling, you can add your linguine noodles and cook until al dente according to the package directions. This will take about ten minutes.

While your pasta cooks, you can start cooking your bacon.

I find that dicing the bacon prior to cooking gives you better, more consistent-sized bacon crumbles that cook more evenly and look nicer when served.

You can always cook your bacon in long strips and then crumble it after you have removed it from the pan if you wish.

STEP THREE: Add the diced bacon to a large skillet that is two inches deep over medium heat. Cook the bacon for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring often, or until golden and crispy. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the skillet and place it into a small bowl, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the skillet. 

STEP FOUR: Turn off the heat to the skillet, add the minced garlic, and cook for one minute until the garlic is soft and fragrant. 

STEP FIVE: Remove 1½ cups of the starchy pasta water from the pot of cooked pasta and set aside.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss it around to coat the pasta with the garlic. 

STEP SIX: Add the beaten eggs to the pasta and quickly toss the pasta with the egg mixture.

Add one cup of the reserved pasta water and toss the hot pasta until the sauce mixture has coated the pasta and slightly thickened up.

The heat of the pasta and the hot pasta water will gently cook the eggs without scrambling them.

You may need to add an additional quarter to a half cup of starchy pasta water to thin out your sauce.

You need to work fast and toss the pasta in the sauce a few times to really coat the pasta. 

STEP SEVEN: Transfer your carbonara pasta to a large serving bowl.

Top with the remaining quarter cup of grated pecorino romano cheese, cooked bacon crumbles, and the fresh chopped parsley.

How To Serve This Bacon Carbonara Recipe

While carbonara pasta is usually enjoyed as a main course, it can also be enjoyed as an appetizer or side dish.

To bring out the classic flavors of this pasta, drizzle it with something acidic like balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. It will add great contrast to the creamy pasta sauce.

Adding some fresh herbs – such as basil or parsley – can also help to bring out the flavors.

This carbonara pasta recipe goes well with various side dishes, including roasted vegetables, Caesar salad, or a side salad.

For a truly indulgent meal, serve it alongside buttery garlic bread or cheesy pull-apart bread for an added crunch and flavor.

If you’re looking for a couple more classic creamy pasta recipes, you have to give these a try: This copycat Olive Garden alfredo sauce is so flavorful and delicious that it’s perfect over any type of pasta.

And this slow cooker chicken pasta is an easy way to make a satisfying pasta dish.

Pasta Carbonara Recipe Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: This authentic carbonara pasta should be served immediately while it is still hot. 

This dish really does not work well to reheat or to make ahead due to the nature of the carbonara sauce thickening and being absorbed by the pasta as it sits and cools.

IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing this pasta carbonara recipe once it has been fully cooked — as the creamy texture of the sauce won’t hold up to the freezing process.

How To Freeze Pasta

Cooked pasta can be frozen for up to three months, though it is important to note that the pasta should be cooked just until al dente before freezing – so it won’t become watery once thawed.

If the pasta has been cooked for too long, it will become mushy and will not freeze well.

Make sure to place it in an airtight container or freezer bag and remove as much air as possible from the container or bag.

Also, label it with the date — so that you can keep track of how long the pasta has been frozen.

You’ll want to only add the sauce and other ingredients after the pasta has been thawed. This will prevent them from separating during the freezing process.

When ready to eat thawed pasta, reheat it with a bit of olive oil or butter. This will restore any moisture lost during freezing.

Why We Love This Creamy Carbonara Pasta Recipe

SIMPLICITY AT ITS BEST: This recipe epitomizes Italian comfort food with its simple yet incredibly flavorful ingredients. With just eggs, cheese, bacon, and pasta, it’s proof of how quality ingredients can shine without fuss.

QUICK AND EASY: Pasta carbonara is a perfect go-to meal for busy weeknights. The entire dish can be prepared in the time it takes to cook the pasta. It’s a lifesaver when you need a delicious meal in a hurry.

CREAMY WITHOUT CREAM: The creamy texture of the sauce comes from emulsifying eggs and cheese, creating a luscious coating for the pasta.

This traditional pasta carbonara recipe makes for a creamy and flavorful pasta dish. If you’re a fan of cheesy sauce on your pasta, then you will surely love it. It will have you feeling transported to your favorite Italian restaurant right in the comfort of your own home.

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