Description
The creamy richness of an authentic pasta carbonara comes together in just 20 minutes with a few ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
- Ground black pepper
- ½ cup pasta cooking water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz cured beef or plant-based savory protein strips (diced)
Instructions
- Step: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season it with 1 tablespoon salt. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente.
- Step: In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, parsley, and ground black pepper.
- Step: Slowly trickle ½ cup of hot pasta cooking water into the egg and cheese mixture while whisking constantly to temper the sauce. Set aside.
- Step: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced protein strips and cook until crispy.
- Step: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the protein. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Step: Gradually stir the egg and cheese mixture into the pasta, tossing constantly until a silky, creamy sauce forms. Serve immediately.
Notes
Ensure you remove the pan from the heat before adding the egg mixture to prevent scrambling. If the sauce is too thick, add an extra splash of reserved pasta water. You can adjust the richness by using a mix of whole eggs and egg yolks as desired.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling and Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 675 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 69 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 146 mg
Keywords: spaghetti, carbonara, pasta, italian, quick dinner