Recipe

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Use this easy carbonara sauce recipe to make a rich, creamy pasta in no time.

For nights when you need a quick dinner that’s a crowd pleaser without measuring lots of ingredients, this carbonara sauce with spaghetti is the perfect thing to whip up.

What is Carbonara Sauce?

Carbonara sauce is a classic Italian sauce made with eggs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and pancetta or bacon. The heat from the cooked pasta and pasta water helps create a silky, rich sauce without using cream. You just toss it and watch it transform.

It’s such a winner at my house that I nearly always keep diced pancetta in the freezer so I can whip it up quickly, or my pancetta pasta. When I’m out, I’ll use bacon to make carbonara. Both work beautifully.

What Does Carbonara Sauce Taste Like?

The sauce has a mild, creamy flavor from the eggs combined with the salty Parmesan, plus a savory, meaty richness from pancetta (or bacon). All comes together into a heavenly sauce that clings to the spaghetti and melts in your mouth; it’s so good!

Carbonara Sauce Ingredients

Pancetta or bacon, chopped onions, garlic, and ground black pepper add flavor, and the sauce itself is made with Parmesan cheese, eggs, and pasta water reserved from cooking the spaghetti.

A four-photo collage showing steps for making a pasta carbonara. Top left: Uncooked spaghetti, onion, parsley, diced bacon, shredded cheese, and eggs arranged beside a stainless-steel pan.
Top right: Tongs add cooked spaghetti to a pan with browned bacon. Bottom left: A thick egg-cheese mixture is poured into the pan of spaghetti.
Bottom right: Spaghetti is tossed with tongs, coating it in the mixture.

How to Make Carbonara Sauce

If this is your first time making this, watch the easy step-by-step video and the details in the recipe card. Essentially, you’ll:

Cook the pasta following the package directions and reserve the pasta water before draining. Don’t worry, I have you reserve extra.
Cook the pancetta in the skillet until it's almost crispy. Then, add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté them in the same grease. It adds so much flavor!
Make the egg mixture in a bowl by combining the eggs and Parmesan cheese. You'll want to have this on hand.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet and toss to combine. Check that the pasta water is still hot; if not, reheat.
Make the carbonara sauce by pouring the egg mixture into the skillet and tossing it with the spaghetti as you pour the hot pasta water. As it melts, it will create a creamy sauce to coat every piece of spaghetti.

Perfect Carbonara Sauce Cooking Tips

The reserved pasta water should be hot enough to melt the parmesan and give the carbonara a creamy texture. If not, reheat it.

Start with room-temperature eggs to create a smooth, light sauce and reduce the chances of scrambling (which happens when cold eggs meet hot liquid).

Use bacon or pancetta; both are great options. Pancetta is smokier and meatier, and bacon is easier to find.

How to Serve Carbonara Sauce

Divide this pasta into bowls and top it with more Parmesan. Maybe serve it with a side salad, some crusty bread, or garlic breadsticks to soak up every bit of goodness.

Carbonara Sauce Recipe + Video

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Use this easy carbonara sauce recipe to make a rich, creamy pasta in no time.

5 from 36 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

4 ounces diced pancetta , or 4 bacon slices
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
8 ounces spaghetti

Instructions

Cook the pasta

In a large pot, over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta until al dente. When the pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and set it aside. I like to reserve a little extra in case I need it.

Make the sauce

In a large skillet, saute bacon over medium-high heat. Once it's beginning to brown and crisp, add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden, for about 5 minutes.
In a separate dish, whisk the eggs, parmesan, and pepper. Set it aside.

Combine

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and add the pasta to the skillet. Then, use tongs to combine the pasta with the bacon mixture. Pour the egg and parmesan mixture over the pasta.
Make sure the reserved pasta water is still very hot; if not, reheat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Working quickly, use tongs to combine the pasta and egg mixture in the skillet as you pour in half of the pasta water. For a more saucy pasta, slowly add more pasta water. Melting the cheesy egg mixture with the water is what creates the carbonara sauce.
Serve with more Parmesan cheese.