Traditional Spaghetti Carbonara

If you ask me, spaghetti carbonara is pure comfort food magic.

This classic Italian pasta dish makes a satisfying weeknight dinner that’s packed with creamy, salty goodness. Silky eggs and sharp Pecorino Romano cheese combine with crispy pancetta or bacon.

It’s tossed with hot spaghetti and finished with cracked black pepper and a splash of pasta water. Simple ingredients and proper technique help the whole thing come together.

It’s a restaurant-quality dish that comes together quickly, a perfect cozy evening meal.

What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

Spaghetti is the classic choice for carbonara, but you’ve got some flexibility here. Bucatini works great too – it’s basically thick spaghetti with a hole running through the center that helps hold onto that creamy sauce. Fettuccine is another solid option if that’s what you have on hand, though it will give you a slightly different texture experience. The key is using a long pasta that can really grab and hold onto all that cheesy, eggy goodness. Whatever you choose, make sure to cook it just until al dente since it’ll continue cooking a bit when you toss it with the hot pancetta and egg mixture.

Options for Substitutions

While carbonara is a classic that’s best kept traditional, there are a few swaps you can make if needed:

• Pancetta: If you can’t find pancetta, thick-cut bacon works great as a substitute. You can also use guanciale if you want to go super traditional, though it might be harder to find.
• Pecorino Romano cheese: Parmesan is a fine substitute for pecorino, though pecorino gives a sharper, more authentic flavor. You can also do a mix of both cheeses – about half and half works nicely.
• Spaghetti: Bucatini, fettuccine, or even linguine work well here. The key is using a pasta shape that holds the creamy sauce nicely.
• Whole eggs: Some recipes use just egg yolks for extra richness, but whole eggs work perfectly fine and are what most home cooks have on hand.
• Olive oil or butter: You can skip this entirely if your pancetta or bacon renders enough fat. Just use the rendered fat to cook your garlic if you’re including it.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with carbonara is adding the egg mixture to pasta that’s too hot, which will scramble your eggs instead of creating that creamy, silky sauce you’re after – always let the pasta cool for a minute or two after draining before mixing.

Another common error is not having your pasta water hot enough when you add it to the egg and cheese mixture, since the starchy pasta water is what helps create the proper sauce consistency, so save at least a cup before draining.

Don’t forget to work quickly once you start combining everything, and keep tossing the pasta constantly while adding the egg mixture gradually – this prevents the eggs from cooking too fast and ensures even coating.

Finally, resist the urge to add cream or milk, as traditional carbonara gets its creaminess purely from the eggs, cheese, and pasta water working together.

What to Serve With Spaghetti Carbonara?

Since carbonara is already pretty rich and creamy with all that cheese and pancetta, I like to keep the sides simple and fresh. A crisp Caesar salad or mixed greens with a light lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness perfectly and adds some much-needed freshness to the meal. Garlic bread is always a crowd-pleaser too, especially if you want something to soak up any extra sauce on your plate. For a more Italian approach, try serving it with some roasted vegetables like asparagus or broccoli, which pair beautifully with the salty pancetta and creamy sauce.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Carbonara is definitely best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The creamy sauce might look a bit separated when cold, but don’t worry – that’s totally normal with egg-based sauces.

Freeze: I honestly don’t recommend freezing carbonara since the egg and cheese sauce doesn’t hold up well to freezing and thawing. You’ll end up with a grainy, separated mess that just won’t taste the same as the original silky goodness.

Reheat: To bring leftover carbonara back to life, add a splash of pasta water or regular water to a pan over low heat. Gently warm the pasta while stirring constantly – this helps the sauce come back together. You can also microwave it on low power, stirring every 30 seconds, but the stovetop method works better.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 85-100 g
• Fat: 90-110 g
• Carbohydrates: 270-300 g

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 1 lb spaghetti, bucatini, or fettuccine
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

For the bacon mixture:

• 1/2 lb pancetta or thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp, optional)
• Black pepper, to taste

For the cheese and eggs:

• 3-4 whole eggs
• 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Step 1: Boil the Pasta Water

• 1 tablespoon salt

Fill a large pot with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water.

Bring the water to a rolling boil.

This will serve as the cooking base for your pasta later.

Step 2: Cook Pancetta or Bacon with Garlic

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb pancetta or thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp, optional)

While the water is heating up, heat the extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add the pancetta or thick-cut bacon pieces and cook slowly until they become crispy.

Add the minced garlic (if using) and cook for about a minute, just until fragrant.

Once done, turn off the heat and transfer the pancetta and garlic mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Prepare the Egg and Cheese Mixture

• 3-4 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

In a small bowl, beat the whole eggs thoroughly.

Mix in about half of the grated parmesan or pecorino cheese until well combined.

This will become the base for your creamy carbonara sauce.

Step 4: Cook the Pasta

• 1 lb spaghetti, bucatini, or fettuccine

Once the salted water is boiling, add the spaghetti, bucatini, or fettuccine and cook uncovered until the pasta is al dente, according to package directions.

Reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water, then quickly transfer the cooked pasta (while still dripping wet) with tongs into the bowl with the pancetta and garlic (from Step 2).

This ensures the pasta stays hot enough to create a creamy sauce in the next steps.

Step 5: Combine Pasta with Pancetta

• cooked pasta (from Step 4)
• pancetta and garlic mixture (from Step 2)

Toss the hot, dripping-wet pasta (from Step 4) with the pancetta and garlic mixture (from Step 2) in the large bowl.

Mix well so the pasta starts to absorb the flavors and cools down just enough to avoid scrambling the eggs in the following step.

Step 6: Finish the Carbonara and Serve

• egg and cheese mixture (from Step 3)
• reserved pasta water (from Step 4)
• remaining grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (from Step 3)
• black pepper, to taste

Add the beaten egg and cheese mixture (from Step 3) to the bowl with the pasta, pancetta, and garlic.

Immediately and quickly toss everything together until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy, adding a small splash of reserved pasta water as needed to achieve your desired consistency.

Season with salt to taste, and top with the remaining grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

I like to use plenty of black pepper for a true carbonara kick!

Traditional Spaghetti Carbonara

Delicious Traditional Spaghetti Carbonara recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2350 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pasta:

• 1 lb spaghetti, bucatini, or fettuccine
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

For the bacon mixture:

• 1/2 lb pancetta or thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp, optional)
• black pepper, to taste

For the cheese and eggs:

• 3-4 whole eggs
• 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Instructions

 

• Fill a large pot with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. This will serve as the cooking base for your pasta later.
• While the water is heating up, heat the extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta or thick-cut bacon pieces and cook slowly until they become crispy. Add the minced garlic (if using) and cook for about a minute, just until fragrant. Once done, turn off the heat and transfer the pancetta and garlic mixture into a large mixing bowl.
• In a small bowl, beat the whole eggs thoroughly. Mix in about half of the grated parmesan or pecorino cheese until well combined. This will become the base for your creamy carbonara sauce.
• Once the salted water is boiling, add the spaghetti, bucatini, or fettuccine and cook uncovered until the pasta is al dente, according to package directions. Reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water, then quickly transfer the cooked pasta (while still dripping wet) with tongs into the bowl with the pancetta and garlic (from Step 2). This ensures the pasta stays hot enough to create a creamy sauce in the next steps.
• Toss the hot, dripping-wet pasta (from Step 4) with the pancetta and garlic mixture (from Step 2) in the large bowl. Mix well so the pasta starts to absorb the flavors and cools down just enough to avoid scrambling the eggs in the following step.
• Add the beaten egg and cheese mixture (from Step 3) to the bowl with the pasta, pancetta, and garlic. Immediately and quickly toss everything together until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy, adding a small splash of reserved pasta water as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Season with salt to taste, and top with the remaining grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper. I like to use plenty of black pepper for a true carbonara kick!