Spaghetti Carbonara

A creamy, satisfying Italian pasta dish featuring tender spaghetti tossed with crispy pancetta, eggs, Parmesan, and Pecorino Romano cheese, and plenty of black pepper. Served with a crisp green salad and garlic bread.

• Prep: 15 min
• Cook: 15 min
• Total: 30 min
• Servings: 5
• Cuisine: Italian
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $5.72/serving

Dietary

• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Low-Sugar
• High-Protein

Tags

• classic
• comfort food
• quick
• savory

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 6 ounce pancetta (diced)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 0.75 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (grated)
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 tablespoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
• 1 crusty bread
• 5 ounce mixed greens
• 0.25 cup vinaigrette dressing

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil for the spaghetti.
2. While the water heats, cook the diced pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon, reserving 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the skillet. Set pancetta aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 large eggs, 2 egg yolks, Pecorino Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, and fresh black pepper. Set aside.
4. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the spaghetti.
5. While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the crusty bread lengthwise and spread with a mixture of 2 tablespoons olive oil and minced garlic. Toast in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Immediately add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with the reserved pancetta fat. Toss for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat.
7. Quickly pour the egg and cheese mixture over the hot pasta, tossing vigorously with tongs to coat the spaghetti. The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs and create a creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add some of the reserved pasta water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
8. Stir in the crispy pancetta.
9. Serve the carbonara immediately, garnished with extra black pepper if desired. Serve alongside a simple salad of mixed greens tossed with vinaigrette dressing, and the garlic bread.

Notes

The key to a smooth carbonara is to work quickly once the egg mixture is added to the hot pasta, continually tossing to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Use good quality cheese for the best flavor.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 780
• Protein: 33.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 88 g
• Fat: 32.5 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sodium: 1200 mg
• Saturated Fat: 11.5 g
• Sugar: 2.5 g
• Cholesterol: 190 mg