Express Spaghetti Carbonara Dish (Printer-friendly)

A creamy, flavorful Italian pasta featuring crispy bacon, eggs, and Parmesan cheese in minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz dried spaghetti

→ Sauce

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Bacon

05 - 3.5 oz diced bacon or pancetta

→ To Serve

06 - Extra Parmesan cheese for garnish
07 - Freshly cracked black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente following package directions. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper until fully combined.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until golden and crispy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Transfer drained pasta to the skillet with the bacon off the heat. Quickly add the egg and cheese mixture, tossing vigorously. Add reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce is silky and coats the spaghetti evenly.
05 - Plate immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's genuinely faster than ordering takeout, and tastes infinitely better.
  • The creamy sauce is pure egg magic—no heavy cream needed, which somehow makes it feel lighter despite being completely indulgent.
  • Once you nail the timing, you'll make this on autopilot, impressing people who think carbonara is complicated.
02 -
  • Heat is your enemy here—adding eggs to a hot pan off the heat is the entire difference between silky sauce and scrambled eggs, so don't skip turning that burner off.
  • Pasta water isn't just filler; the starch in it is what transforms an oily mixture into something luxurious and coating, so save it before draining and add it strategically.
  • Timing means everything—have all your components ready before the pasta finishes cooking because there's no room for scrambling once you start combining.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about the eggs scrambling, add a splash of pasta water to the egg mixture before tossing it with the pasta—this tempers the eggs even more gently and gives you a safety margin.
  • Some cooks like to reserve a little pasta water in a separate cup and add it tablespoon by tablespoon so they have complete control; this technique works beautifully if you're learning the dish for the first time.
  • Black pepper isn't optional here—it's integral to the flavor profile, so use fresh cracked pepper and don't be shy with it, especially at the table.
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