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Nut Free
Easy Pasta Carbonara Recipe with Pancetta
Make Pasta Carbonara right at home with this easy recipe! Toss it in pancetta and garlic for a perfectly crisp addition, combined with eggs to make a creamy sauce loved by all.
I don’t know about you, but we love carbs in our home. Especially if they come in the form of pasta. Especially if we’ve got a bowl of pasta carbonara on our table!
The star of this recipe is definitely the pancetta. Diced pancetta is cooked in butter until it becomes crispy. Minced garlic is then added to the butter and pancetta for additional cooking.
This is what elevates the simple pasta dish into something so incredible. The meaty and buttery pancetta is out of this world.
Adding this to your cooked pasta is delicious enough. However, beaten eggs and parmesan are tossed into the pancetta and pasta. The heat from your freshly cooked pasta will slightly cook the eggs and turn the mixture into a light and creamy pasta sauce.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Make This Pasta Carbonara
It is extremely easy to make. You’re only cooking the pancetta and boiling your pasta. Everything else comes together at the end.
You probably have most of the ingredients at home. Carbonara pasta is a recipe you can whip together even if you didn’t have anything planned for dinner. Most of these ingredients are probably already at your disposal.
The only thing you might have to pick up from the grocery store would be the pancetta. You can easily be replaced with bacon if that’s what you have on hand. Pasta carbonara truly is an incredible comfort meal. You can even cook a large batch of this creamy pasta to serve to guests!
Key Ingredients
Unsalted butter melts into the pancetta, creating the perfect flavor base.
Pancetta is pork belly, giving a savory and salty flavor with a crisp texture.
Garlic is a staple in Italian dishes! It adds an aromatic and rich flavor.
Large eggs create the smooth and creamy texture of the subtle sauce for this carbonara pasta recipe.
Fresh parmesan cheese gives this dish a nutty flavor. Parmesan cheese is ideal for pasta dishes.
Fettuccine pasta is perfect shape pasta for the creamy sauce to hold on to.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
How to make Pasta Carbonara with Pancetta
Step 1: Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.
Step 2: Sauté pancetta
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large frying pan, add diced pancetta, and cook over medium heat until crispy.
Step 3: Add garlic
Then add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the pancetta and garlic into a large bowl.
Step 4: Beat the eggs
Beat the eggs in a small bowl until fluffy, then mix in the grated Parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Quickly combine
Combine the pancetta with beaten eggs and cheese in a bowl. You need to do this step quickly, as you want the pasta to be hot when you add it in. The heat from the pasta will heat the eggs and create a light creamy sauce.
Step 6: Mix and season
Mix once again until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 7: Drain pasta and mix
Once the pasta is cooked, quickly drain it. Move into the bowl with pancetta, eggs, and garlic.
Step 8: Garnish and enjoy
Serve immediately! Sprinkle each plate with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Cook the pasta al dente; its residual heat will help create the creamy carbonara sauce.
- Work quickly when combining the beaten raw eggs and grated cheese with the hot pasta; this ensures a smooth and creamy texture.
- Carbonara is best enjoyed immediately after preparation to savor its creamy texture. I do not recommend making it ahead of time or storing it for later.
- Top with grated parmigiana reggiano or romano cheese for the best presentation and topping!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, it is. A curing process makes pancetta safe to eat raw. You can learn all about pancetta here!
Pancetta cubes take about 5 minutes to saute on the skillet. If the pancetta is in slices, about 2-3 minutes for each side.
Replace pancetta with sautéed mushrooms for a flavorful vegetarian twist.
Quickly toss the eggs with the pasta, ensuring the heat is sufficient to create a creamy texture without scrambling. You don’t want chunky scrambled eggs in the pasta mix! When mixed quickly, the egg yolks will turn out silky and creamy with the pasta.
Pasta is a classic dish. Here are more classic recipes you’ll love:
- This Easy and Classic Greek Salad with Chickpeas is a great meal to toss together for lunch.
- An Easy Beef Stroganoff recipe is a classic dinner dish to make for a weeknight dinner.
- I can’t resist this Light and Easy Tomato Soup recipe in the summer! It’s ideal for a lunchtime meal.
Other garlic recipes from the blog
If you tried this Pasta Carbonara with Pancetta or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Simple Pasta Carbonara with Pancetta
Equipment
- Pot
- spatula
- whisk
- tongs
Ingredients
- ½ Tbsp butter
- ¼ lb pancetta, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ lb fettuccini
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.½ lb fettuccini
- While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large frying pan, add diced pancetta, and cook over medium heat until crispy.½ Tbsp butter, ¼ lb pancetta,
- Then add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the pancetta and garlic into a large bowl.2 cloves garlic,
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl until fluffy, then mix in the grated Parmesan cheese.2 eggs, ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Combine the pancetta with beaten eggs and cheese in a bowl. You need to do this step quickly, as you want the pasta to be hot when you add it in. The heat from the pasta will heat the eggs and create a light creamy sauce.
- Mix once again until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.salt,, pepper,
- Once the pasta is cooked, quickly drain it. Move into the bowl with pancetta, eggs, and garlic.
- Serve immediately! Sprinkle each plate with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Yum, this was good! And the recipe was easy to follow.