Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
A perfect creamy Spaghetti Carbonara that is super easy to make. The Carbonara sauce is combined in a blender or food processor with egg, parmesan, butter, and garlic. Best yet, it comes together in under 30 minutes!It makes an incredible "special occasion" or holiday dinner!
Servings 4 people
Calories 605kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg at room temp.
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon butter at room temp.
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- ¼ teaspoon course ground black pepper more if you like!
- pinch kosher salt
- 12 oz spaghetti about ¾ of a pound box
- 4 oz pancetta small diced, or guanciale *see note for bacon
- 1 cup RESERVED starchy pasta cooking water
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
Option Add In
- ⅔ cup frozen peas
Instructions
Prep
- This recipe comes together really quickly, so I HIGHLY RECCOMEND that you prep all the ingredients before getting started- Called Mise en Place
- Put salted water on to boil for the pasta, place the eggs in warm water to bring to room temp, chop the parsley, grate the parmesan cheese and chop the garlic. Also measure the butter, black pepper, salt, and parmesan cheese.
Carbonara
- In a food processor or blender add the egg, egg yolks, minced garlic, black pepper, kosher salt, softened butter, and parmesan cheese.1 large egg, 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoon butter, 3-4 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon course ground black pepper, pinch kosher salt, ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Blend for about 15 seconds until it is creamy. You may need to stop and scrape the sides down.
- Set the butter mixture aside for now.
- Pop the pasta in the boiling water to cook to al dente per package instructions.12 oz spaghetti
- Reserve 1 cup starchy pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta through a colander.Pro Tip: Place a measuring cup in your colander and you won't forget to reserve the starchy pasta water!!
- In a large non-stick skillet sauté the pancetta over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If there is more than a couple teaspoon of grease in the pan drain the excess.4 oz pancetta
- Pour in ⅓ cup reserved starchy pasta water and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Remove the pan from the heat.1 cup RESERVED starchy pasta cooking water
- Add in the pasta and the butter/egg mixture. Using tongs give it a good toss to coat the pasta in the sauce. (toss in the frozen peas now, if using)Add more pasta water as needed to make the sauce creamy.
- Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley.⅓ cup Italian parsley
- Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese and lots of cracked black pepper.Add some red pepper flakes if you like a little heat!
Storing and Reheating
- Leftovers actually store really well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat add a splash or two of water or chicken broth to the bowl and microwave for a minute, or toss in a skillet.
Notes
USING BACON - if you have a hard time finding pancetta, you can use thick cut bacon in it's place. Cut the bacon into small pieces. Crispy it up in the pan and remove all but a couple teaspoon of grease in the pan before moving on.
Shrimp Carbonara: If you love seafood, definitely check out this recipe for Shrimp Carbonara!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 605kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1087IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 3mg
