What makes this pasta carbonara such a standout is how a few ingredients transform into something wonderful. With just hot pasta and a splash of starchy cooking water, a mixture of egg and cheese turns into a rich, glossy sauce for pasta. I use thick-cut bacon — which is easier to find than guanciale and equally delicious — and the recipe comes together in about 35 minutes.

A bowl of spaghetti carbonara topped with grated cheese and parsley. The dish includes strands of pasta mixed with bits of bacon or pancetta. A fork rests inside the bowl. A small bowl of grated cheese is partially visible in the background.
Thick-cut bacon, two cheeses, and the right egg ratio make all the difference.

Pasta carbonara is one of Rome’s great pasta dishes, and one of the simplest. It’s based on a handful of ingredients: Dried pasta, eggs, grated aged cheese, cured pork, and black pepper. No cream, no shortcuts.

I grew up in an Italian-American family where Sunday pasta meant red sauce and meatballs or this meaty baked ziti. Carbonara came into my life later, after a trip to Rome — and once I tasted the real thing, I couldn’t leave it alone.

These ingredients matter:

A flat lay of ingredients for pasta carbonara: packaged bacon, four brown eggs in a fish-shaped dish, uncooked spaghetti, grated cheese in a bowl, a bundle of parsley, and a pepper grinder on a white surface.
  • Bacon, pancetta, or guanciale: The traditional choice is guanciale — cured pork jowl with a rich, fatty flavor that’s unlike anything else (if you want to try guanciale in another classic Roman dish, my amatriciana sauce is the next step). Pancetta is a fine substitute and easier to find at most grocery stores. I use bacon, and I’m unapologetic about it. Look for thick-sliced, unsmoked bacon. I think the smokiness in regular bacon can overpower the other flavors. If you use pancetta, ask the deli counter to slice it thick — about 1/2-inch — then cube it yourself.
  • Eggs: The ratio matters more than most people realize. I use three yolks for every one whole egg, which is the Roman standard and the reason the sauce turns out as rich and cohesive as it does. More whole eggs and you lose the deep golden color and the sauce is harder to thicken. Use the best eggs you can find — the yolks are the sauce.
  • Cheese: I like to use equal parts Parmesan and Pecorino Romano. Parmesan is mild and nutty, Pecorino is sharp and salty. Together they hit the right balance. If possible, buy them in hunks and grate them fresh at home.

Cream in carbonara: Yes or no?

No — and here’s why: Cream changes the fundamental nature of the dish, making the sauce heavy and one-dimensional. It also masks the flavor of the eggs and cheese, which are the whole point.

The magic of carbonara is pure chemistry. The heat from hot pasta and starchy cooking water gently sets the eggs, creating a sauce that coats the pasta like a glove. Cream turns this dish into something else entirely. The same principle applies to cacio e pepe — Rome’s other great minimalist pasta — where cheese and starchy water do all the work.

How to make spaghetti carbonara:

  • Cured thick-sliced bacon lined up on a baking pan, ready to go in the oven.
    1. I learned how to cook bacon in the oven when I worked in restaurant kitchens, and I never looked back. It’s so much easier and less messy! Lay the bacon strips on a rimmed sheet pan without overlapping — crowding them causes steaming instead of crisping.
  • Baked bacon slices resting on a paper towel in a baking pan.
    2. The bacon is done when it’s deeply colored, not just cooked through. Pale bacon won’t give you the crisp texture or flavor you want.
  • Strips of cooked bacon and a knife on a cutting board, with sliced pieces of bacon on one side.
    3. Cut the bacon into rough 1/2-inch pieces — you want something substantial enough to bite into, not crumbles.
  • Egg yolks, grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a bowl, with a whisk off to the side.
    4. Add the eggs and grated cheese to a wide, shallow bowl — larger than you think you need. The pasta is going in here too, and shallow depth prevents heat from concentrating at the bottom and scrambling the eggs.
  • A white bowl contains whisked egg yolks, reminiscent of a pasta carbonara preparation, with a whisk resting inside. Nearby, a glass measuring cup holds liquid next to a spoon on the white speckled background.
    5. Whisk 1/2 cup of hot pasta cooking water into the beaten egg and cheese mixture. Don’t skip this step. The eggs are raw, and if hot pasta hits them cold, they’ll scramble rather than emulsify.
  • Linguine pasta in a mixing bowl, being tossed with tongs.
    6. Work fast and keep tossing. The heat from the pasta is what cooks the sauce, and it only stays hot for a few minutes.
  • Chopped bacon, and cooked spaghetti in a mixing bowl, with a pair of tongs resting inside.
    7. Add the bacon at the end so it stays crisp — if it goes in too early, the residual heat softens it.
Plates of spaghetti carbonara with peas, bacon, and grated cheese rest on a light surface. A large serving bowl holds the remaining pasta. Two glasses of white wine and a small dish of extra cheese are nearby. A sprig of parsley adds a touch of green.
Peas aren’t traditional in carbonara, but I started adding them when my kids were little.
Pasta carbonara in a serving bowl, topped with grated cheese and chopped parsely.
5 from 46 ratings

Carbonara Recipe (with Bacon)

Karen Tedesco
Simple ingredients make the best carbonara. Hot pasta and a splash of starchy cooking water turn an egg-and-cheese mixture into a rich, glossy sauce that wraps every strand. I use thick-cut bacon in place of guanciale, and the whole recipe comes together in about 35 minutes.
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 12 ounces (225 g) thick-sliced bacon
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 large whole egg
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound (450 g) dried spaghetti, bucatini or linguine pasta
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Equipment

Instructions
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 (200 C) degrees and line a large tray with paper towels.
  2. Arrange 12 ounces thick-sliced bacon on a rimmed baking sheet, or lay them on top of a rack that fits inside, for crispier bacon. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through, until the bacon is deeply colored and crisp. Transfer to the tray to blot excess fat. Chop the bacon into small pieces.
  3. Whisk 3 large egg yolks, 1 large whole egg, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese cup each of the Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses, ¼ teaspoon salt, and Freshly ground black pepper in your largest mixing bowl. If you have a wide pasta serving bowl, use that to mix and serve.
  4. Bring 4-5 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add 1 pound dried spaghetti, bucatini or linguine pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually about 10 minutes.) Scoop out ¾ cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta.
  5. Whisk ¼ cup of the hot water into into the egg yolk mixture — this tempers the eggs so they won't scramble.
  6. Immediately dump the hot pasta into the bowl, then toss it all together quickly and thoroughly, using tongs or two spoons. You can add more of the pasta water if the sauce seems dry. Sprinkle the bacon and parsley over the pasta and toss to combine. Serve right away, with the remaining grated cheeses on the side.

Notes

It’s a must that you serve pasta carbonara as soon as it’s done. For the same reason, pasta carbonara does not reheat well. Once it cools, the pasta soaks up all the egg sauce and the delectable creamy texture will be absorbed. 
What if the sauce curdles?
Because carbonara is made with raw eggs, there’s always a chance the sauce will overcook and turn grainy — like bits of scrambled egg in your pasta. It happens when piping-hot pasta hits the egg mixture too fast, without enough surface area to release the heat gradually. If it does happen, don’t panic: The flavor is completely intact, and you’ll know exactly what to adjust next time.
Variations:
  • Carbonara sauce may be made with pasteurized eggs.
  • Add a small grated garlic clove and a pinch of crushed red pepper to the eggs.
  • Toss a tablespoon or two of soft butter to the pasta (it’s not traditional but very delicious).
  • Toss in 1 1/2 cups frozen peas to the boiling pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
  • If you’d like to use pancetta instead of bacon, bake 1/2-inch cubes 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees until crisp.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 810kcal Carbohydrates: 94g Protein: 33g Fat: 32g Sodium: 586mg Fiber: 7g Sugar: 6g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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