Easy Carbonara Sauce

Learn how to make classic carbonara sauce recipe the Italian way & without any cream. Quick, easy, fuss-free dinner your family will love with added peas for kids! 

When it comes to quick and easy midweek dinner staples, spaghetti alla carbonara is in our Top 5 recipes. The reason being, it only takes 20 minutes to make and it's extremely moreish, comforting and delicious. Carbonara sauce next to Bolognese is also my kids' choice when asked what they would like to have for dinner and the addition of peas is mainly because of them.

Since I've started making pasta carbonara some years ago now, I have been making it following this classic Italian recipe, with minimal ingredients and no cream. I will show you how simple it is to create nice and silky carbonara sauce that will cling lovingly to your spaghetti with no cream in sight. It is my ultimate recipe for carbonara sauce and once you try it, you'll love it too!

Ingredients you will need to make carbonara sauce!

Pasta - It doesn't have to be spaghetti although in my opinion it works best and that's what we associate with carbonara. Long and thin strands of spaghetti seem to cling on to silky carbonara sauce in a way other pasta shapes don't.  Feel free to go with any pasta shape you like.

Smoked pancetta or smoky bacon - For me smoked versions of both are a must for the added flavour and lovely saltiness. These days you can easily buy already cubed, smoked pancetta.

Garlic - It is super important flavour enhancer. We only use it here to infuse the fat we're crisping up bacon in with gentle garlicky flavour. It works so well without being overpowering.

Eggs - Originally, classic Italian carbonara sauce uses only egg yolks but I've always gone for whole eggs to slightly lighten the richness of the sauce (plus there is less faff too).

Parmesan or Pecorino (freshly grated) - Parmesan is a staple in my kitchen and that's the cheese I always use in my carbonara sauce although pecorino is another one used frequently in Italy.

Black pepper (freshly ground) - Another important ingredient in carbonara sauce. It adds that extra pep to the dish and you should be really generous with it both in the sauce itself but also on top of the finished pasta.

Butter - I like to use a nice chunk of unsalted butter to crisp up my bacon in, but you could also use a splash of oil or olive oil.

Peas - An extra addition you can leave out. I've started adding them when our kids started eating spaghetti carbonara to up their veg intake. It also adds a little bit of colour.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara - Coal Miners' Pasta

A fun fact about the origins of pasta carbonara is that it used to be eaten by coal miners in Rome with the specs of black pepper referring to the specs of coal dust.

Things to remember when making authentic carbonara sauce!

1. Make sure you salt the water you cook your pasta in generously. It might be obvious but you would be surprised how many people don't salt their water enough and end up with bland pasta which when you rely on so few ingredients in your sauce, wouldn't be a good thing.
2. There is no need to add any salt to eggs and parmesan mixture only freshly ground black pepper. Both smoky bacon/pancetta and parmesan provide enough saltiness and if your pasta water has been salted generously, you're good to go.
3. Don't get rid of pasta water as few splashes of it will become part of your carbonara sauce. Another reason to salt your pasta water well.
4. Make sure your pan is off the heat when adding egg mixture. Residual heat is all that's needed to cook the eggs without scrambling them.

How to make carbonara sauce - step-by-step instructions!

• Put the large pan of salted water to boil and cook spaghetti as per instructions on packaging.
• In the meantime, in a large shallow pan melt your butter and add peeled and bashed garlic cloves and pancetta. Fry for few minutes until garlic does its job infusing butter and pancetta is nice and crisp.
• While pancetta is cooking, whisk your eggs in a bowl or a jug and add freshly grated parmesan. Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper, mix well and set aside.
• When your pancetta is nice and crisp, discard the garlic and add frozen peas. Keep the pan on low heat for couple of minutes until the peas have defrosted and warmed through when you take the pan off the heat completely. If not using the peas take the pan off the heat once your pancetta is nice and crisp.

• Your pasta should be ready by now and instead of draining it, use long kitchen tongs or special spaghetti spoon and transfer spaghetti straight from the pot it was cooking in to your pan with bacon and peas adding a little bit of pasta water as well (keep that pan off the heat). You could drain your pasta in a colander if you wanted to instead but make sure to keep some of the pasta water to add to your pan with pasta, bacon and peas. It will be a base for your sauce.
• Once you have transferred all your spaghetti add your egg/parmesan mixture to the pasta pan (keeping it off the heat) and mix using wooden spatula and/or kitchen tongs making sure that pasta is nicely covered. The residual heat from the pasta will cook your egg mixture but as long as your pan is off the heat and you mix everything promptly and thoroughly, your eggs won't scramble and you will have lovely, cheesy, silky sauce.
• Plate up and serve immediately with some more grated parmesan and lots of freshly ground pepper!

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5 from 10 votes

Easy Carbonara Sauce

Learn how to make classic carbonara sauce recipe the Italian way & without any cream. Quick, easy, fuss-free dinner your family will love with added peas for kids!

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Carbonara Sauce, Spaghetti Carbonara

Equipment

• Saucepan*
• Cast Iron Shallow Round Casserole*
• Glass Measuring Jug 1ltr*
• Fine Grater*
• Kitchen Tongs*

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 788kcal

Author Jo Allison

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

• 40 g unsalted butter see notes
• 3 garlic cloves peeled and bashed
• 90 g smoked pancetta or bacon lardons
• 450 g spaghetti or pasta shape of your choice
• 4 large eggs lightly whisked
• 100 g parmesan finely grated
• generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
• 200 g frozen peas optional
• extra freshly ground black pepper & extra parmesan to serve

Instructions

• Put the large pan of salted water to boil and cook spaghetti as per package instructions. 
• In the meantime, in a large shallow pan melt your butter and add peeled and bashed garlic cloves and pancetta. Fry for few minutes until garlic does its job infusing butter and pancetta is nice and crisp. 
• While pancetta is cooking, whisk your eggs in a bowl or a jug and add freshly grated parmesan and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
• When your pancetta is nice and crisp, discard the garlic and add frozen peas.  Keep the pan on low heat for couple of minutes until the peas have defrosted and warmed through when you take the pan off the heat completely. If not using the peas take the pan off the heat once your pancetta is nice and crisp.
• Your pasta should be ready by now and instead of draining it, use long kitchen tongs or special spaghetti serving spoon and transfer spaghetti straight from the pot it was cooking in to your pan with bacon and peas (keep that pan off the heat). You could drain your pasta in a colander if you wanted to instead but make sure to keep some of the pasta water to add to your pan with pasta, bacon and peas. It will be a base for your sauce.
• Once you have transferred all your spaghetti and keeping the pan off the heat add your egg/parmesan mixture to the pasta pan and mix using wooden spatula and/or kitchen tongs making sure that pasta is nicely covered. The residual heat from the pasta will cook your egg mixture but as long as your pan is off the heat and you mix everything promptly and thoroughly, your eggs won't scramble and you will have lovely, cheesy, silky sauce. 
• Plate up and serve immediately with some more grated parmesan and freshly ground pepper!

Notes

• Nutritional information is approximate, per serving and should be treated as a guideline only. 
• You can use oil/olive oil instead of butter to crisp up your pancetta/bacon.

Tips:

• Make sure you salt the water you cook your pasta in generously. It might be obvious but you would be surprised how many people don’t salt their water enough and end up with bland pasta which when you rely on so few ingredients in your sauce, wouldn’t be a good thing.
• There is no need to add any salt to eggs and parmesan mixture only freshly ground black pepper. Both smoky bacon/pancetta and parmesan provide enough saltiness and if your pasta water has been salted generously, you’re good to go.
• Don’t get rid of pasta water as it will come handy to loosen up your carbonara sauce.
• Make sure your pan is off the heat when adding egg mixture. Residual heat is all that’s needed to cook the eggs without scrambling them.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Carbonara Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 788 Calories from Fat 270

% Daily Value*

Fat 30g46%

Saturated Fat 14g70%

Cholesterol 217mg72%

Sodium 623mg26%

Potassium 510mg15%

Carbohydrates 93g31%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 35g70%

Vitamin A 1065IU21%

Vitamin C 21mg25%

Calcium 361mg36%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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