This Carbonara recipe is where I explain how easy it is to make it the Italian way. I also provide a step by step photo tutorial for the Carbonara sauce using only eggs and Parmesan cheese. No cream!!
For another Italian classic, try my basic pasta cream sauce.
Whenever we visit Italy we are fortunately enough to be able to see the real country, away from busy tourist spots, and eat meals prepared by real women, not chefs. Our friends, who live there, make sure of it.
If you ever ask an Italian where to get the best food they would answer my mamma’s house without hesitation. Truth is that some of the tastiest Italian dishes ARE made by home cooks.
I’ve heard once that Julia Child said she didn’t like Italian cooking because there is no actual cooking involved. Seriously Julia Child? That’s my favourite part!!
I love that I can come home from work and no matter what state I am in I can still whip up a quick and satisfying spaghetti carbonara and spend time with my favourite people around a dinner table.
The recipe I am sharing today is the cornerstone of Italian cuisine Carbonara. The day I was taught how to make Carbonara by my amazing Sicilian friend Angela is one of the best days of my life.
Spaghetti Carbonara is such an iconic Italian recipe but often times in restaurants is absolutely loaded with cream, which has no place in the original recipe.
All the cream and cheese makes restaurant carbonara is a hefty dish we often feel guilty for eating. And it does make us feel quite heavy afterwards.
But would you be surprised if I told you that the same creaminess could be achieved without the cream and the calories?
What is carbonara sauce made of?
- eggs
- Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon of cream or butter (optional)
How do you make it creamy?
As I mentioned earlier eggs are the main ingredients in the carbonara sauce and to make it seem creamy I use mostly egg yolks.
Yes, egg yolks are responsible for the creaminess in the sauce and that luxurious feeling you get with each mouthful without feeling greasy.
Another trick is to add one tablespoon of butter to start the sauce or 1 tablespoon of cream to finish it but not both! Well, you can do both but it’s not necessary.
How do I make the best spaghetti carbonara?
Attention to detail is important in this recipe since it has an incredibly short ingredient list. The flavour rests on the quality of those ingredients plus little finishing touches.
1. One of them is always salting your water before adding the pasta. That’s a crucial moment when pasta get flavoured all the way through. If you salt it your spaghetti later it will only be on the surface.
2. Another little detail that makes a difference is infusing the pancetta or bacon with a touch of garlic.
I usually add one clove of garlic to the pan when I cook the pancetta, then remove it before the pasta goes in. This way the garlic doesn’t overwhelm the delicate flavour of the carbonara sauce but it compliments it.
Also, I would highly recommend using pancetta and not bacon. If pancetta is not available, try to find meatier bacon.
3. Add the hot pasta directly to the pan with cooked pancetta, then add some pasta water.
In the recipe without cream we need some extra liquid to create the sauce and carry the flavours that coat the pasta.
Pasta water is perfect for it as it has absorbed some starch from the pasta that will help thicken the sauce as well.
4. Now the the trickiest of steps is adding the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta to create the famous carbonara sauce.
I personally find it works best if I add the beaten eggs while the pasta is taken of the burner to provide the gentle heat that will cook the egg but not curdle them.
If you can manage, it works best if you pour the egg and cheese mixture over the spaghetti while tossing the pasta the entire time in order to coat it and not allow the eggs to turn into scrambled eggs.
5. Finally add more freshly grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy your easy and delicious spaghetti carbonara with a simple green salad. After all simplicity is what Italian cooking is all about!
More authentic Italian pasta recipes
Ingredients
- 100g/3.5 oz pancetta finely chopped
- 80g/ 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 4 eggs large
- 1 lbs spaghetti
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 1 tbsp butter optional
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions in large pot filled with salted water.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, cook the chopped pancetta or bacon in a large pan with 1 or 2 whole cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp of butter until the fat is rendered, then discard the garlic. If using bacon, discard all by 1 -2 tablespoons of fat.
- In a small bowl mix 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks (reserve the whites for another use or freeze them) and freshly grated parmesan cheese until blended.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it while reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta directly to the pan with pancetta and about half of the reserved pasta water. Stir to allow the pasta to be coated with the sauce, then take the pan off the heat.
- Pour the egg and Parmesan mixture into the spaghetti while tossing it with a pair of tongs the entire time. Toss quickly not to let the eggs to curdle. Then taste and season with more salt if needed and pepper as well as more grated parmesan if desired. You might want to add the rest of the reserved pasta water to make it saucier.
Video
Notes
I did the cream free version I can’t say I loved it.. it worked and was perfectly edible, but would not remake again. More a matter of taste than anything.
Hi Anne-Marie, the cream free version is the only version that can be called Carbonara according to Italians. Everything else is just pasta with cream sauce. They do taste different and I can see how it could be disappointing if you were expecting something different but there is just no way to make eggs taste like cream. I guess Carbonara is just not your thing.
Great recipe tasted so good. No cream yet tasted creamy. Thank you x
Thank you for a wonderful review, Mary!
This is the easiest, delicious pasta recipe I’ve tried. I’m not a pasta fan, but because my son loves Spaggetti with Carbonara sauce, I googled for a simple recipe. Whoala…. he loves it. I subatituted the pancetta / bacon with a pan-fried chicken chop. Delicious. Thank you. From Malaysia. ❤
I am thrilled to hear your son loved it, Dazzie!
I have always thought of an authentic Carbonara as a little intimidating, but your step by step instructions were super clear, and the result was delicious! I will absolutely cook it again. A real treat of a dish. Thanks x
So happy the instructions were helpful, Stephanie!
My husband and I really enjoyed this meal… And he’s not usually a big fan of pasta. I used back bacon and that seemed to work well as a substitute for pancetta. I was nervous about adding the egg/cheese mix, but following the instructions, I had no problem. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I look forward to using it more!
That is such good news, Jessica. I used to feel the same about the raw egg mixture. I thought it would curdle but if done properly, it turns into a delicious sauce!
I want to make CARBONARA SAUCE WITH BACON BITS BUT NO PASTA do you prepare it the same way without the pasta I`d like to jar it
Thanks Mick
Hi Mick, this type of sauce is impossible to jar as it’s made with raw egg and needs to be cooked by the heat of pasta, so it can’t be made ahead. This sauce recipe takes as long as boiling pasta, so no need to make it ahead. However this creamy pasta sauce can be.
This was really good!! It was a huge hit at my house!
Glad to hear it, Toni!
one of my favorite lunches! So good!
Love having it for Sunday lunch too, Rachael!
The best way to make carbonara! Love that you used simple traditional ingredients and no cream!
Thank you so much, Beth. It’s so much lighter this way!
Never thought that this would taste soooooo good. Everyone loves this when I make it and every mouthful is mmmmmmm.
Great outcome, Julia! So happy to hear that!
Been cooking at a high-level for a long time but for some reason never attempted carbonara sauce. Could not be more happy with the results. Easy to make and delicious. Thanks Jo
So pleased to hear that, Joe! Enjoy!!
Really looking forward to making this ! I hate waste so I m reserving all the fatty bits of bacon I chop off for breakfast and using the yolks I separate for egg white omelette. Love the garlic idea too ! Thanks ! Donna jameson .
Let me know what you think, Donna!!
Delicious ! We woke up thinking about it . Made it with spaghetti squash instead of noodles and it worked perfectly !
I love the spaghetti squash idea, Wendy!! So glad you enjoyed it!
A nice gluten free option… and so much less heavy! 🙂
Thanks so much, Lisa!
Family of 7, not a scrap left!
Fabulous news, Sue! 🙂
Worked egg-celently. Puns aside, It worked well. I used garlic and salt and pepper and came out great!
Egg-cellent news, James! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I will try this for sure….I found this recipe because I just spent 4 weeks curing and drying a lb /1/2 ,,,of panchetta…n.which came out delishiouse..this should be interesting..thanks
Curing your own pancetta sounds very adventurous. Well done, Mark!
Just made it. Excellent recipe.
Yes, love it when recipes turn out for my readers. Thank you for your review, Nicole!
When I was younger whenever I went to an Italian restaurant I would always order carbonara! I love it and I think it’s a great tip to add a clove of garlic when frying the pancetta – that’s something I’ll try next time.
Thanks, Corina! It’s a simple trick that adds so much flavour to the sauce without overpowering it!
This looks absolutely wonderful. It’s making me so hungry and I’ve now saved it to make it this week.
This looks so good! I definitely want to make this. It looks so much lighter than most recipes I’ve seen loaded with cream.
Looks delicious. I love the simplicity of Italian cooking as well. So good.
Carbonara perfection! That’s exactly how I make my carbonara at home (no cream in sight). Beautifully smooth and so delicious! Fantastic recipe!
Thanks so much, Jo!
Carbonara to die for, thank you
A good carbonara is hard to beat and yours look perfect!
Thank you so much, Jennifer! Carbonara without a doubt is my favourite pasta!
Thank you for your recipe! I already tried and my daughter loves it! Love from the Philippines 🙂
I am so pleased to hear it, Mae!!