Spaghetti Carbonara (No Egg)
This simple and easy take on spaghetti carbonara is made without egg in less than 30 minutes! We use creamy parmesan cheese, crispy bacon, and plenty of black pepper to achieve restaurant flavor with easy to find ingredients. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner when you’re craving classic Italian comfort food.
Ingredients
- 2 servings spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- 2 to 4 tablespoons pasta water
- 5 strips bacon diced and fried
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Start by boiling the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package directions.Please note, you will need to reserve some pasta water for the sauce before you drain the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Once the heavy cream is lightly steaming, stir in the shredded parmesan cheese until melted.
- Next, add about 2 tablespoons pasta water to the pan, stirring to incorporate. Stir in the bacon bits and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes to help the sauce thicken.
- Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the cooked pasta. If the sauce is too thin, optionally add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of pasta water to help it cling to the noodles and continue simmering over low heat until it reaches the desired thickness. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Bacon - Dice and fry the bacon first and drain the excess grease on a paper towel before stirring it into the sauce. Optionally, use leftover bacon from the fridge (just chop it up with a sharp chef's knife).
Reserve pasta water - The starchy water left in the pot after cooking pasta helps the sauce cling to the noodles. Make sure to set some aside before draining the spaghetti!
Simmer to help the sauce thicken - If your sauce feels too thin, let it simmer for a bit longer. When you push your cooking utensil through it, it should leave a line in the pan before the sauce comes back together. You can also let it simmer a bit after stirring in the spaghetti if you feel like the sauce isn’t clinging well - just a few minutes will help things thicken up.
Garnishes - If you’re feeling fancy, leave some bacon to the side so you can top the pasta with bacon after plating. Sometimes we also top our carbonara with extra shredded parmesan if we’re feeling decadent!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 803kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 454mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1945IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 388mg | Iron: 1mg
