Spaghetti Carbonara
This isn’t your traditional carbonara. This version is made with bacon! I refer to spaghetti carbonara as “breakfast spaghetti.”
Servings: 3
Calories: 558kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz dried spaghetti
- 4 oz bacon chopped into small pieces
- 1 minced garlic
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti to al dente according to pasta package instructions. Reserve about ¼ cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Place bacon in a single layer in a large cold pan. Set over low heat and slowly cook bacon to render fat. Once bacon has released some grease, increase to medium heat.
- Flip bacon pieces are needed for even cooking. Continue to cook based on your desired of crispiness. Remove from heat and remove bacon pieces and allow to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Keep rendered bacon fat in skillet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat skillet with bacon fat over medium heat. Once hot, add minced garlic. Stir and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 45-60 seconds. Add cooked pasta and bacon. Toss to combine.
- Pour in egg mixture. Quickly toss to coat pasta in sauce while the heat is still on, about 30-40 seconds. At this point, the "sauce" should have thickened. Remove from heat.
- If sauce is too thick, add in splash of reserved pasta water. Season with additional cheese and black pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Original Italian spaghetti carbonara is made with guanciale. Guanciale is an Italian cured meat made from pork jowl. Similar to pancetta (made from pork belly), guanciale is unsmoked.
- Pancetta would be a great substitute.
Nutrition
Calories: 558kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 163mg, Sodium: 788mg, Potassium: 326mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 339IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 187mg, Iron: 2mg