This traditional “bacon and egg” spaghetti dish, known as bacon carbonara, is incredibly rich and wonderful to present to guests. Additionally, this recipe creates a unique breakfast dish.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 40 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or as needed
- 8 slices bacon, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain, toss spaghetti with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and set aside.
- Place diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to bacon fat in the skillet. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook 1 minute more.
- Return cooked bacon to the skillet; add cooked spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or sticks together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or a large fork, until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and toss again. Season with salt and pepper (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
- Serve warm with chopped parsley sprinkled on top and extra Parmesan cheese at the table.
- DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 444 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 45 g |
| Cholesterol | 118 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 369 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Had to add more olive oil than recommended. Overall it was really good and the kids have asked for it more than once! That’s a winner!
I made it without onions (I do not eat onions) and used linguine (because I grabbed that box instead of spaghetti… ). I loved it, but more importantly – the hubby & kid liked it as well! I appreciate the simple recipe and get this: I found tossing the pasta, bacon, eggs & cheese with 2 wooden spoons to be very….relaxing! Who knew?? Oops – forgot to take a picture…1
This was, and I quote “restaurant quality!” Delicious. Will definitely make again. Only thing I did “different” was I had to make the heavy cream with butter and whole milk.
This was really yummy. Everyone liked it. I’ll be making again very soon.
MOST excellent! I made it with bucatini. LOVELY!!
I love this dish! Also if you omit the eggs then this dish is called Spaghetti ala Grecia, another of my favorites. Very popular in Roma.
Took out the onions and added heavy cream at the end. Tastes even better.
Love this recipe. Love the video. Love the chef. Easy and simple instructions. Cheers
Please don’t call it carbonara! For sure it is good but carbonara is a traditional old recipe and if you change ingredients it is everything but carbonara which is made only with guanciale ( bacon can be a substitute) eggs ( you don”t need oli for cooking pasta) and most of all pecorino romano and not parmesan( you can mix the two but shouldn’t).In very simple but very good recipes like this or cacio e pepe for instance, it is very important not to change the ingredients otherwise you can get a good dish but a very different taste. ( I am italian and lived 10 years in Rome and am fond of traditional recipes of all our regions). Thank you
My husband and I both loved it. I took other’s advice and used less pasta, otherwise pretty much followed the recipe AND added scallops! I was searching for a pasta recipe to use the scallops I had purchased and this worked perfectly. I think shrimp could work well too. Thanks for great, easy recipe.
Great honest, simple ingredients, just like in Italy! I like american bacon, too in this dish.
Sorry, but this recipe is not even close to the way it’s made in Italy and tastes nothing like real Italian food……..
Being single I reduced down the recipe to 3 pieces of bacon, 2oz. Pasta, 1/4 cup onion, 1 Tbl of bacon fat, 1/4 cup or so of Asiago cheese (no parmeson on hand) a splash of mirin (no wine on hand) and 1 jumbo egg. OMG it was outstanding, I am sure without the substitution it would just as tasty. I cook for 1 and prefer limited leftovers
Well, you sure learned some tongue-magic working in that kitchen! Hats off big time. But let me give all of you a big, fat culinary tip to make this even better… if that is possible — and it is! Instead of the bacon, go to Costco and buy one of those smoked hams in the gold or red wrap. Cut slabs of this up into pretty good sized pieces and use that either instead, or with the bacon. Also… for more color and zip, cut up some green long onions and throw those in as well. And finally, for the grand finale … throw in a can of well drained and dried sliced black olives! Now THAT’S the cat’s meow to the max. These touches would elevate this awesome dish from a 5 to a 7 star if there were such a thing. See, no, taste for yourself! You can repent tomorrow for all the carbs. B-)
Way too dry. I add a cup or so of pasta at the end to emulsify the sauce into a cream.
No I’like this recipe
Made it the way it says and everyone that has tried it loves it.
This is my third time making this in three weeks. It is delicious! Sausage seems to always be on sale, and with prices the way they are, I found sausage to substitute perfectly for bacon in this recipe! Cook the sausage in the oven, slice it up, and follow the rest of the directions. It is hearty, delicious, and budget friendly. Tonight, I am adding in mixed vegetables. YUM!
As is, very good.
Absolutely amazing! My kids loved it too!
Delicious!