Description
Creamy Bacon Carbonara Pasta is a rich and indulgent Italian-inspired dish featuring al dente spaghetti tossed in a luscious sauce made from eggs, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese, combined with crispy bacon and fragrant garlic for a perfect balance of flavors. This quick and easy stovetop recipe is perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 400 g spaghetti or pasta of choice
Bacon and Garlic
- 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 the 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 the 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 the Garlic: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, but not burned.
- Prepare the Sauce Mixture: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: 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 Adjust Sauce: Mix everything well, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated. Gradually add a little of the reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce and help the sauce adhere to the pasta.
- Thicken the Sauce: Keep stirring until the sauce thickens and coats the spaghetti. Make sure to remove the skillet from the heat before the eggs scramble.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnishing with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to remove the skillet from heat before the eggs scramble to maintain a creamy sauce.
- Reserve pasta water as it helps to loosen and emulsify the sauce for a perfect texture.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for best flavor and melting quality.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, but this will slightly change the richness.
- You can substitute bacon with pancetta to make the dish more traditionally authentic.
