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easy spaghetti carbonara recipe - Easy Spaghetti Carbonara served in a white bowl overhead view
Chloe

Easy Spaghetti Carbonara

easy spaghetti carbonara recipe made easy at home. A classic Roman pasta dish made simple with just a few ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes. Ready in
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 550

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 400g spaghetti dried
  • 150g pancetta diced
  • 3 large eggs room temperature, pasteurized if desired
  • 50g Pecorino Romano finely grated
  • 30g Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper plus extra to serve
  • 1 tbsp salt for pasta water

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, then add 1 tbsp salt. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
  2. While the pasta cooks, place diced pancetta in a large cold skillet. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pancetta turns crispy and golden, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, Pecorino, Parmesan, and black pepper until well combined and creamy.
  4. With the skillet off the heat, add the drained hot spaghetti directly into the pan with the pancetta and its rendered fat. Toss well. Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in a splash of hot reserved pasta water to warm it, then pour over the pasta. Toss vigorously, drizzling more pasta water as needed until a silky, creamy sauce forms. For food safety, ensure the sauce reaches 160°F (71°C). If it hasn’t, set the skillet over very low heat and stir constantly just until it reaches the temperature—do not scramble.
  5. Divide among warm plates, top with extra grated cheese and a generous crack of black pepper. Serve at once while creamy.