Name: Creamy spaghetti carbonara
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: serves 2 people
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 50 g pancetta (1.8 oz); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 140 g dried spaghetti (regular or gluten free) (5 oz); 1 tsp salt; 2 eggs, free range; 20 g parmesan cheese, shredded (0.9 oz / 1/4 cup)

Creamy spaghetti carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara. Mmm, pasta, pasta, pasta. Not a week goes by without pasta in our household. We just love it (and it's so easy and quick to prepare as well, let's be honest). We've started wondering why we haven't posted more pasta recipes here on the blog, but hey, it's never too late for a good pasta recipe. This incredibly delicious Pasta Carbonara originates from Italy, but it's eaten all around the world. The basic ingredients for this recipe are spaghetti, bacon, eggs, cheese, pepper and that's all we've used as well. Perfect for a quick midweek lunch/dinner or for special occasions like Valentine’s day as well. It’s made in just 15 minutes from start to finish so it really doesn’t get any easier. If possible, use free range eggs, because they are better, also make sure to buy good organic pancetta or bacon for extra flavor. Tasty, quick and easy to make.

How do you make spaghetti carbonara?

Spaghetti Carbonara is a pasta that's incredibly easy to make and super quick too. 15 minutes from start to finish. You will need a few ingredients:

Pancetta - Pancetta is a must in this recipe. It adds an amazing, deep, meaty flavor. You could use bacon too.

Olive oil - It's our favorite type of oil to use in all kinds of kinds of pasta, you could substitute with lard too.

Black Pepper - Complements eggs and bacon beautifully. Use freshly ground black pepper. Adds a lovely spiciness.

Eggs - Use free range eggs if possible and as fresh as possible. Eggs will be cooked completely so no need to worry.

Pasta water - The most important component is the reserved pasta water, which contains a lot of starch. That results in a creamy sauce. It can't be replaced with water.

Spaghetti - You can use any kind of fresh or dried pasta, spaghetti is our preferred option.

Does real carbonara have cream?

No. The pasta Carbonara like the Italians make it doesn't contain any cream. It's just carefully cooked pasta with eggs. The important component is the reserved pasta water, which contains a lot of starch. That results in a creamy sauce. It can't be replaced with water.

How do you make carbonara step by step?

Easy, check the step by step video recipe:

Ingredients