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Spaghetti carbonara is a truly magnificent dish. You can whip it up in no time with only a few ingredients. More importantly, it’s shockingly good. Each time I make this recipe, I find myself pondering how something so simple can be so excellent. The bacon clearly has something to do with it but parsley, eggs, parmasan, and freshly ground pepper are also key. While it’s hard to lay claim to a recipe for such a classic dish, I do feel that I’ve made this one my own. It took several years but I’ve finally arrived at an ingredient mix and cooking method that results in what I find to be the perfect spaghetti carbonara.
Deconstructing Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti carbonara or “spaghetti alla carbonara” is a classic Italian dish. Traditionally it is made with 3 main ingredients:
- Pasta: A thick spaghetti noodle or linguine are the most popular choices.
- Pork: Bacon or pancetta are a must in any authentic carbonara.
- Eggs: Carbonara requires tossing hot pasta in raw beaten eggs. The heat from the pasta cooks the egg mixture as you toss. Some recipes use whole eggs while others use a mix of whole eggs and egg yolks.
Carbonara purists who want “authentic” spaghetti carbonara will stop with these ingredients and probably allow you to garnish the dish with a bit of cheese and black pepper. Then there are the folks who like to slip a few more ingredients in their spaghetti carbonara. Parsley is a popular addition along with a little onion or garlic. Some take it too far (in my opinion) and add peas or cream.
I’m with the slightly less authentic carbonara crowd as I’ve added garlic, shallots, and parsley to my recipe. On the whole, I think it’s still pretty true to a classic carbonara.
Sarah’s Spaghetti Carbonara
Serve this spaghetti with a big green salad and crusty bread or bread-sticks.
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Spaghetti Carbonara
Description
Spaghetti carbonara is a perfect for an alfresco dinner party. It’s quick, it requires only a few ingredients, and most importantly – it’s sure to please your guests.
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine or thick spaghetti
- 2 tbsp salt (for cooking pasta)
- 1 lb bacon, cooked and diced
- 1 tbsp bacon grease, reserved from cooking bacon
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 3 eggs, pasturized variety
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- freshly ground black peper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add two tbsp salt and the pasta. Cook until al dente following the time instructions on the package (usually about 8 minutes)
- Meanwhile, add reserved bacon grease and olive oil to a large skillet. Sautee shallots over medium heat until soft and fragrant (approx 5 minutes). Add garlic and sautee 2 more minutes. Turn off burner.
- Whisk the eggs in large serving bowl.
- When pasta is ready, drain and transfer cooked pasta to skillet with the shallots and garlic. Toss the pasta to coat with onion/garlic mixture and then empty the skillets content into the serving bowl with the eggs. Toss the pasta in the egg mixture. As the hot pasta is coated in beaten egg, the heat will cook the eggs.
- Sprinkle the bacon, ⅓ cup chopped parsley, and Parmesan cheese over the pasta and toss.
- Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve with extra grated parmesan, parsley, and black pepper.
Notes
I prefer to make this dish with linguine or bucatini (a very thick spaghetti)
Tip: Carbonara should be served immediately after it’s ready. When I’m making carbonara for guests, I do all the prep work in advance (e.g., cook and chop the bacon, mince the shallot and garlic, chop the parsley, grate the parmesan, and fill a large pot with water.) About 30 minutes before we want to eat, I slip away to start the pasta water boiling. Once the water is boiling it will take about 10 minutes to whip everything together.
