Description
A rich and creamy bacon carbonara pasta featuring crispy bacon, a silky Parmesan and cream sauce, and perfectly cooked spaghetti. This easy-to-make Italian-inspired dish combines savory bacon with a luscious sauce made from eggs, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese, garnished with fresh parsley for a burst of color and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 400 g spaghetti or pasta of choice
Bacon and Aromatics
- 150 g bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Cook Bacon: Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and diced bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, but not burned.
- Prepare Sauce Mixture: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Combine Pasta and Bacon: Reduce the heat to low and return the cooked pasta to the skillet. Quickly add the bacon back into the skillet, then pour the egg and cream mixture over the pasta.
- Mix and Add Pasta Water: Mix everything well to evenly coat the pasta. Gradually add a little of the reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce and help the sauce adhere to the pasta.
- Cook Sauce Gently: Keep stirring until the sauce thickens and coats the spaghetti. Ensure to remove the skillet from heat before the eggs scramble.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Reserve some pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency as it helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
- Be careful to keep the heat low once adding the egg mixture to prevent scrambling.
- You can substitute pancetta for bacon for a more traditional Italian flavor.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for best taste and texture.
- Serve immediately for the creamiest texture and best flavor.
