Spaghetti Carbonara – this classic Italian pasta dish comes from Rome. In Delhi, more often than usual what you get in lieu of a carbonara is alfredo with bacon bits. One place that I absolutely loved spaghetti carbonara was at Piso16 back in the day. A long-cut pasta – spaghetti, bucatini or capellini, eggs, bacon, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.
Traditionalists might argue the addition of garlic, but hey, a bit of garlic never did anyone any harm! The recipe comes together in no time but the key is to not overcook anything. The bacon should be still meaty and under no circumstances should the eggs scramble. You can check out my previous rendition of this classic with bucatini and cheddar here.
Love pasta? I do too – check out some of the classics below –
Pomodoro sauce
Marinara
Pancetta aglio e olio
Spaghetti al Limone
Tips for the most fool-proof Carbonara
- Mise en Place : Make sure all your ingredients chopped, grated and in place since the pasta will literally come together in 5 minutes.
- Cheese : Hard cheese like Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano
- Cured meat : Use bacon, pancetta, or guanciale if you can get your hands on it.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Carbonara – for 1
- Spaghetti – 1oz
- Garlic – 1tbsp, finely chopped
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp
- Bacon – 4 links, chopped into rough bits (Use a thick cut – I used this)
- Egg – 1 (Please use a free range!)
- Parmesan – 1/2 cup, finely grated
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Method
- Cook pasta according to the pack instructions in heavily salted water.
- While the pasta is boiling, prep the bacon. Lightly grease a pan with olive oil, add the chopped bacon and cook until soft. Remove any excess bacon fat from the pan, reserving 1 tbsp to be used later.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. By now, the bacon would also be crispy.
- Drain the pasta water into a large bowl which you will use to mix the pasta together. This will make sure the bowl is warm but not enough to scramble or curdle the eggs.
- Crack the egg in a bowl, whisk well. Add the parmesan,salt and pepper and reserved bacon fat. Mix well until the mixture comes together.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss well.
- Drain the pasta water from the bowl and wipe it dry.
- Transfer the pasta to the bowl. Add the egg mixture and toss well until the pasta comes together.
- Top with some more pepper and parmesan and serve!
Check out the quick video below!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 oz Spaghetti
- 1 tbsp Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 4 links Bacon roughly chopped
- 1 no. Egg free range
- ½ cup Parmesan + more for garnishing
- ½ tbsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the pack instructions. While the pasta is boiling, prep the bacon. Lightly grease a pan with olive oil, add the chopped bacon and cook until soft. Remove any excess bacon fat from the pan, reserving 1 tbsp to be used later.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. By now, the bacon would also be crispy.
- Drain the pasta water into a large bowl which you will use to mix the pasta together. This will make sure the bowl is warm but not enough to scramble or curdle the eggs.
- Crack the egg in a bowl, whisk well. Add the parmesan,salt and pepper and reserved bacon fat. Mix well until the mixture comes together.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss well. Drain the pasta water from the bowl and wipe it dry.
- Transfer the pasta to the bowl. Add the egg mixture and toss well until the pasta comes together.
- Top with some more pepper and parmesan and serve!
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