Creamy Carbonara
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Creamy Carbonara recipe is a plate of heavenly, creamy pasta. Silky spaghetti with crispy pancetta in a super creamy and cheesy sauce. Simply delicious and so easy to make at home.
Crispy pancetta is my absolute favorite member of the vegetable food group. Wait…you mean it’s not a vegetable? Well this is Jo Cooks world, and in this world – we get 3 – 4 servings of pancetta a day. This delectable pork topper adds the perfect texture and flavor to our creamy dreamy oh so silky carbonara. This big pan of decadence pairs perfectly with a glass of Mulled Wine and a nice long nap to follow. So let’s get sizzling!
What Is Carbonara?
At its core, this Italian dish is from Rome and is super super simple. It’s made from egg, hard sharp cheese, pepper, and guanciale – a cured pork. If guanciale is a little too hard to find pancetta or bacon works in a snap.
My carbonara recipe uses some cream to thicken it all up and ensure it really sticks to your ribs. Yes, I know the traditional dish doesn’t have cream in it, but that’s why this is creamy carbonara!
Ingredients
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Pasta – I used spaghetti for that fork twirling goodness, feel free to use any pasta you have on hand.
- Pancetta – Our key pork treat, feel free to substitute bacon if that’s what is on hand.
- Cream – I used half and half but if you’d like to cut back on calories feel free to use a lighter cream or whole milk.
- Eggs – Just the yolks! Save those whites for breakfast tomorrow morning.
- Cheese – You need a sharp hard cheese like Parmesan or Pecorino, today I opted for parm!
- Pepper – Just fresh ground pepper today, no need for salt!
- Basil – Fresh and chopped up fine for some fragrant garnish.
How To Make Creamy Carbonara
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Crisp the pancetta: Add the pancetta to a large skillet and saute over medium-low heat until crisp. Transfer the pancetta to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
- Get saucey: Add the half and half to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks into the sauce followed by the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the black pepper. Taste for salt and season if needed.
- Finish the carbonara: Add the cooked spaghetti, bacon and basil to the skillet and toss well to combine. Garnish with more cheese and serve hot!
If you want to go as authentic as possible, nix the cream and hunt down some guanciale, which is available is most specialty Italian supermarkets. Just keep in mind that axing the cream will result in a dish that is a bit drier, hence not quite a creamy carbonara. For pasta you can also use fettuccine, rigatoni, or bucatini.
Leftovers
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 – 4 days. This creamy carbonara recipe does not freeze well as the pasta can become mushy and the egg based sauce may separate upon reheating so try to make it day or week of if you’re planning on feasting!
More Pasta Recipes To Try:
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta
- Pesto Shrimp Asparagus Pasta
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta
- Easy Pasta Alfredo
Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram
Creamy Carbonara
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 4
This Creamy Carbonara recipe is a plate of heavenly, creamy pasta. Silky spaghetti with crispy pancetta in a super creamy and cheesy sauce. Simply delicious and so easy to make at home.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti uncooked
- 6 oz pancetta chopped
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for garnish
- 1 tsp pepper freshly ground
- 4 tbsp basil chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the pancetta to a large skillet and saute over medium-low heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
- Add the half and half to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks into the sauce. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the black pepper. Taste for salt and season if needed. I find no salt is needed since the cheese adds plenty of saltiness.
- Add the cooked spaghetti, bacon and basil to the skillet and toss well to combine.
- Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if desired and serve immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Half and Half: Half and half has 12 percent fat content. Heavy cream can also be used. It is also called heavy whipping cream because it’s whipping cream with a milk fat content between 36 and 40 percent.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Make sure to refrigerate within two hours of cooking.
- Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 721kcal (36%)Carbohydrates: 49g (16%)Protein: 31g (62%)Fat: 43g (66%)Saturated Fat: 21g (131%)Cholesterol: 190mg (63%)Sodium: 939mg (41%)Potassium: 411mg (12%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 1000IU (20%)Vitamin C: 1.6mg (2%)Calcium: 599mg (60%)Iron: 1.7mg (9%)
Estee says
Amazing made with thick slice turkey bacon and milk with a bit of corn starch. We served with your incredible chicken thigh recipe and all was delicious! Thanks for helping us through the quarantine! Xoxo
Catherine Cumings says
Loved the recipe. I had chicken, 2 porkcops and bacon to add and it came out great ! I put fresh basil and peas in as well. Thank you !
Devin says
Would I double the sauce ingredients if I wanted to use 16oz of spaghetti?
Jo Cooks Team says
Yes!
Sharon says
Very good carbonara recipe. I used light cream. Made it lighter, creamier than other versions I’ve tried.
Yvonne says
Tried this tonight! Gorgeous! And so easy!!!
Stephanie Grier says
Delicious 😋—I did temper the eggs with sauce before adding —the best version I’ve ever made! Thank you!
tamia jae says
Thank You for sharing your recipes…I ‘ve found a week worth dinner..
Jill says
This recipe is really good. I did temper the egg yolks prior to adding them. I also added peas and a little garlic powder and used bacon instead of pancetta. I also did not utilize the bacon grease…way too much fat that way. I recommend serving it immediately while it is creamy. I held it for about 5 minutes while family got to the table, and it was not as creamy in that short amount of time…the sauce absorbed and it got a little drier. It still was excellent. This lends itself well to add-ins like mushrooms, or really anything!
Allyson Wanner says
We loved this recipe so much! Out of panchetta so used well cooked bacon, otherwise it was easy to make and wonderful flavour. I’ve also made it with spaghetti squash with very good results.
Jennifer Barrett says
I was super excited to make this but, I screwed something up. My sauce was lumpy, maybe I didn’t separate the eggs fully? Please anyone that’s had success with this recipe help me out. Thank you!!
Jo Cooks Team says
Your eggs broke in the sauce! Next time, to be extra careful, turn the heat down to low. While whisking the bowl of eggs, add a ladle of the hot cream to temper them. Then, slowly pour this mixture into the skillet while whisking to make sure they cook evenly.
Charlie says
This recipe was delicious, me and my bf scarfed it down quick!! I did make some additions that I think beef up the meal. I used bacon instead of pancetta, because that’s what I had on hand. I used heavy whipping cream for extra creaminess, and I added some extra carbs! I seasoned cubed chicken tenderloins in salt pepper and paprika and cooked them in the bacon grease, then I sauteed mushrooms with some garlic and very finely minced onions. I added this to the finished sauce, along with some extra Italian seasoning.
Mary W. says
That sounds so good. I have 3 packs of mushrooms and was trying to think of a way to use some of them and the chicken sounds like a great idea. I will make this sometime this week. Always love to read replies as they give you great ideas.
nelle says
Hi! Does cooking cream work with this recipe? 🙂
Thanks!
Jo Cooks Team says
Yes it will!
Mitch says
Hi!
I’ve only got whole milk. Any advice on how to get it to work with this creamy carbonara recipe?
Thanks!
Jo Cooks Team says
You can use it just the same! Turn the heat off before mixing in the egg yolks since the milk will be a bit thinner. Whisk vigorously to avoid lumps.