| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 2 to 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 cups cubed pancetta rind removed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.
- In another large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the pancetta cubes in the oil until crispy but not crunchy. Pour over the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.
- In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before end of the recommended cooking time.
- When the pasta is done, remove approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. Put the pan with the bacon cubes back on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy pancetta. Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Thin with pasta water, if needed. Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 876 |
| Total Fat | 41 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 88 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 230 mg |
| Sodium | 704 mg |
Reviews
I’ve made this many times over the years after seeing Nigellamake it on tv. I hadn’t made it in about 5 years, so came back to this recipe page for a refresher.
I used 1lb spaghetti, 1lb bacon, 6.5oz of Sauvignon Blanc, and for the sauce, 4 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk, 1 cup of fresh parmesean, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, plus lots of black pepper and a dash of Slap ya Mama (could have just used salt but it was the closest seasoning to grab).
We also cooked some frozen peas separately and mixed in once the dish was finished.
Followed the directions otherwise, added a bit of pasta water and finished with nutmeg. It was DELICIOUS!
Highly recommend 10/10.
Made this today for dinner and it was really good!! I used bacon and 1 clove minced garlic. I read many other recipes and they all called for much more cheese and I thought 1/2 cup just wouldn’t be enough so I upped the cheese to 1 cup and used a combination of parmesan, asiago and romano and I used approx. 3/4cup cream instead of 1/2 cup which for 1lb of pasta I didn’t think was enough either. I made sure my eggs , wine, cream and cheese were all at room temperature. Everything turned out awesome!!!! You must work quickly once you add the egg mixture and I definitely added more salt and we added more parm to our plate. One guest said it was way better then the expensive Italian restaurant she had it at last week. Even my fussy Mom enjoyed it. I must say along with a salad and garlic bread this recipe fed 4 and there’s enough leftovers for 2 people. Thank you! it proves Less is More
My go-to Carbonara recipe!
Very good use of ham/pancetta leftovers.
Left out the nutmeg, but was still delicious.
Not bad for non authentic British version. Italians don’t use nutmeg or heavy cream, or even wine for this dish. The simpler, the better.
that was a truly delicious meal that my Italian wife had never had before i made it for her tonight. not too complicated and very homey.
Wow. Oh my goodness this is an amazing dish! Substituted bacon for pancetta and whole wheat linguine for spaghetti. Such a Sunday night carb fest, but oh so worth it.
5-star opinion…delicious flavor, texture and aroma!
Info…we had a cooking party for 5 couples and purpose…pasta carbonara.
Each couple made a different carbonara recipe listed on FoodTV web site. Bottom line…all recipes made a delicious food. This particular recipe by Nigella was most preferred for seconds.
If any reader has never had a food party…
Annie, Fremont, CA
Info…we had a cooking party for 5 couples and purpose…pasta carbonara.
Each couple made a different carbonara recipe listed on FoodTV web site. Bottom line…all recipes made a delicious food. This particular recipe by Nigella was most preferred for seconds.
If any reader has never had a food party…
Annie, Fremont, CA
Easy, delicious and fast. Would be good with chicken, etc. but I always try to stick to a recipe as closely as possible the first time and then tweak it next time. I did use bacon instead of pancetta because that is what I already had. Will make it again.