Pasta Carbonara is one of those dishes that’s simplicity at it’s best. This was most definitely my staple dish to prepare after a long week. It’s the perfect comfort meal and it’s the best leftover for Saturday breakfast.
I always have the essential ingredients on hand because they were cheap and I mean come on they are the best ingredients any home cook could hoard. Eggs, bacon, and parmesan cheese, that’s really all you need to make this recipe work. The creaminess of the egg and the saltiness of the bacon compliment each other perfectly. I like to use a lot of garlic, because we all know the greatest smell on the planet is cooking onions, garlic, and bacon together.
Okay so this is going to get a little controversial. But I like the discussion so here we go. I add cream to my pasta carbonara, now there are carbonara purists that would call me crazy but I do it for a 2 reasons. 1. I like that it brings the sauce together and gives it a creamy factor 2. I do believe it helps the egg cook evenly when added to the pan. If you have better reasoning I’m all ears.
Bottom line, this dish does contain *raw* egg so if you’re elderly, sick or a small child. I’d advise against this dish because you never know when you will get a bad egg and weakened immune systems just can’t handle that. So please, please I’m begging you, use fresh fresh fresh eggs when making this dish. If available use cage free organic. They really are better friends.
Wine Pairing Recommendation: Pair this with a nice Sonoma Chardonnay and you have a tasty well rounded meal.
Pasta Carbonara
This dish contains raw egg so if you’re elderly, sick or a small child. I’d advise against this dish because you never know when you will get a bad egg and weakened immune systems just can’t handle that. So use the freshest eggs possible when making this dish. If available use cage free organic. Save 1/3 cup of the pasta water for finishing your sauce. This is the best restaurant worthy tip for when cooking all pasta dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Spaghetti, cooked and drained
- 8 slices Thick Cut Bacon, diced into bite sized pieces
- 1 whole Shallot, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 pinch Red Pepper Flake
- 1/3 cup Dry White Wine
- 5 whole Eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to season
- 1 bunch Parsley, chopped
Directions
- Step 1 Cook spaghetti according to package. Reserve about 1/3 cup of cooking liquid from the pot. Drain well.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, in a large shallow pan add bacon and heat to medium high heat. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. About 7-8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate, drain the fat except for about 1 tablespoon left in the pan.
- Step 3 Add the shallot to the pan and stir. Cook until slightly brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flake to the pan, stir to cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce by half. Turn heat off and add the spaghetti and 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan.
- Step 4 In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, Parmesan cheese, and heavy whipping cream. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Step 5 Pour egg mixture over pasta and use tongs to toss. Continue to toss the pasta in the sauce while egg cooks and sauce looks shiny and thickened. Stir in cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Serve with more grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
Savor and Enjoy!
I made this dish for supper tonight. It was amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe. So good😋
Thank you Mary! So glad you enjoyed! Cheers!