20 Minute Pasta Carbonara
Easy pasta carbonara with only 5 main ingredients and it takes 20 minutes to make. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
20 Minute Pasta Carbonara
Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty quiet.
Since it is the beginning of the week, I have the perfect easy pasta carbonara recipe for you to incorporate into your weekly meal plan.
This is one of my favorite pasta dishes, that I love to make, because it is very straight forward and always works great!
20 Minute Pasta Carbonara
Carbonara is a pasta dish based on bacon, eggs, Parmesan and black pepper.
I almost always use spaghetti for this dish, but any pasta like fettuccine, rigatoni or linguine could be substituted.
You can also use pancetta instead of bacon, if you’d like.
What I like about this pasta is the crunchy bacon, light sauce and I also like it topped with lots of cheese.
Pasta Carbonara
I’ve seen recipes using cream for the sauce, but there isn’t a single drop of cream in this recipe.
The eggs and cheese make this spaghetti carbonara perfectly creamy!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Just make sure you work quickly and lowed the heat (even remove the pan from the heat), when adding the sauce to the cooked pasta, so the sauce sticks to the spaghetti and you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.
Thanks for reading CookingLSL! To stay up on what’s going on in my kitchen, you can follow me on: Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and sign up for e-mail updates, to receive more recipes and a copy of my FREE e-cookbook 15+ Most Popular Recipes On CookingLSL.
20 Minute Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients
- 5 ounces spaghetti
- 4 slices bacon — , cooked and chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 medium eggs
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.
-
Meanwhile - whisk eggs and combine with Parmesan cheese. Set a side.
-
Heat 1 tsp olive oil and add garlic, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add cooked bacon and pasta. Remove from heat and working quickly, stir in pasta and egg/Parmesan mixture. Add some if the reserved pasta water and stir to combine.
-
Season with salt and black pepper. Top with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
-
Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 695, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 225mg, Sodium: 931mg, Potassium: 352mg, Carbohydrates: 56g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Protein: 34g, Vitamin A: 560%, Vitamin C: 0.9%, Calcium: 461%, Iron: 2.2%More Pasta Dishes:
Fettuccine With Homemade Red Pasta Sauce
Quinoa Pasta With Tomato Mushroom Sauce
Mira – I love how easy this dish is. My boyfriend would go crazy for this dish. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
thanks Erin!
Looks great, Mira! I’ve always been afraid to make carbonara because it seems easy to mess up, but you’ve clearly mastered it!
You’ve just given me a challenge Mira. If I can find a way to make this vegan I’ll let you know. Beautiful pictures!
I’m sure you’ll get it right! Can’t wait to see it! Thanks Linda!
One of my all-time favorite pasta dishes! Love how quickly it comes together with just a handful of pantry staples. Well done Mira!
This is one of my all-time favorites! Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe! Pinned!
With a massive head cold, I’m thrilled with the garlic in here! Just seems to clear you out. And the fresh basil, I’m going to pick from my garden, yay! Best of all, this is easy and yes, crunchy bacon is the best =) That and the Parm cheese.
I hope you feel better Laura!This is the easiest pasta I know 🙂
You are killing me! This looks fabulous! I love pasta so very much…and your delicate twirls just make me want to slurp up! Delish!
I could dive right into this dish! I want this every day that ends in “y”! So good!
Mmm! My hubs and I both love carbonara and I did just end up with a pack of bacon, fresh eggs, and Parmesan.. I think it’s meant to be! Nice tip on the working quickly, too.. I remember trying to teach him how to make this for himself when I was feeling super gnarly during the first trimester and left the kitchen when he decided to make all the magic happened.. he ended up with a huge plate of pasta with scrambled eggs! Ha!
No cream and bacon?! This is one heck of an awesome pasta carbonara! And – Mira – wow – your pictures are stunning!
Wow! This pasta looks and sounds incredible, Mira! Love that it is so quick and easy. Perfect for a week night dinner option.
Love how delicious and healthy this pasta carbonara looks. And the best parts it is so easy and quick! Nom nom!
Quick and easy pasta dishes are my favorite! Love that this pasta carbonara has no cream, it looks gorgeous and super tasty! The perfect weeknight meal!
Thanks Kelly!!! It is so easy!
One of my favorite pasta dishes is carbonara and yours looks delicious. I love how quickly it comes together.
Thanks Janette!
No cream AND this only takes 20 minutes! This is fantastic! Quick and easy, and relatively guilt-free pasta has my name written all over it! 🙂
Thanks Kathleen!
I had a super busy weekend and I seriously need easy recipes like this because my kitchen is a mess right now! :/ Pasta looks delicious Mira!
First of all, that fork is just the CUTEST! I love carbonara, and I love it even more when it’s ready in 20 minutes! Pinned!
I’ve never made carbonara before, but really love it. This looks super easy and delicious!
i LLOVE pasta! this looks great I love that it only has 5 ingredients! easy and de-lish is the best 😉
Pasta carbonara is one of my favorite dishes, Mira! This looks fantastic! Love how easy this is to make. Pinned!
Mmm that pasta carbonara looks awesome, and I love that it’s super easy to make!! Your photography looks amazing, Mira! Pinned 🙂
This pasta looks delicious Mira. I love pasta, it’s one of my favorite dish. 🙂
I love this carbonara and that there’s no heavy cream! There’s nothing better than a quick dinner too!
Thanks Danielle!
Carbonara is one of my favourite pasta dishes! This looks divine, Mira!
I’m a sucker for that eggy carbonara sauce. Such a great easy weeknight meal!
Beautiful looking pasta. I love carbonara.
Thanks!
I just completed 11 miles of running & walking (with doggie. . .the lazy girl won’t run). . .so you can imagine how much I am yearning for this delicious pasta. I’ll take mine with whole wheat noodles. 🙂
I love carbonara, Mira, and this looks delicious! I haven’t made it in far too long, so thank you for the inspiration! 🙂
Carbonara is my all time favourite pasta dish! It’s just soooo delicious. Your recipe for it sounds absolutely perfect, and I love that it only takes 20 minutes! I love the photographs too – you’re making me a crave a huge bowl of this right now!
I love so simple recipes like this, made in 20 minutes. I just had a pasta for dinner today, but next time I should make this Carbonara:)
Mira, LOVE this pasta carbonara!!!!! Gorgeous!
This looks incredible, Mira. And 20 minutes!? I am IN!
Mira, pasta really looks very delicious! Love that you even not added cream! Trying it soon! pinning too 🙂
Carbonara is one of my favourite pasta dishes ever! Your pictures make the dish look so appetising, now I have to include carbonara in this week’s menu!
Ohhhhh…. I left a comment and came back to do some more pinning but it isn’t here. 🙁 I said that I loved that you are showing people how to make carbonara properly!! NO CREAM!! 🙂
Hmm, wordpress-it happens all the time 🙂 Yeah, I love recipes that use no cream or minimal amount of it. There is no need to add cream to carbonara, right? 🙂
Are the cloves minced or just put in as is?
They should be minced or pressed.