Carbonara Recipes

EASY CARBONARA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
• Slice the bacon and place in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with half a tablespoon of olive oil and a really good pinch of black pepper. Leave it to get super-golden and crispy, tossing occasionally, then turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl, then finely grate in the Parmesan and mix well.
• Use tongs to transfer your pasta straight into the pan and toss with the bacon.
• Pour the Parmesan eggs into the pan, and keep everything moving, loosening with splashes of the pasta cooking water until you have a silky sauce. Make sure the pan isn't too hot otherwise the eggs will scramble.
• Plate up the pasta, and finish with an extra grating of Parmesan.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.
• Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Pass more cheese around the table.

THE BEST CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Whisk together the eggs, yolks, Parmesan, Pecorino, pepper and butter if using in a large bowl until well combined.
• Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the spaghetti and half the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss to combine.
• Add the egg mixture and toss to coat. Cook, tossing continuously to avoid scrambling the eggs, until the sauce is creamy, thinning it with the remaining pasta water if it becomes too thick (it should be saucy but not watery), about 1 minute.
• Divide the pasta among plates and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions while you start the sauce.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil and pancetta. Cook until the pancetta gets brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cheese and some salt and pepper.
• When the spaghetti is done, drain it, reserving some of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the hot pancetta skillet. Toss to coat the pasta with the oil. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour over the egg mixture, tossing quickly so the eggs don't scramble. Add some of the hot cooking water to thin it out and form a sauce. Toss in the parsley. Serve immediately with some extra cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

CARBONARA SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook pancetta over medium heat until slightly crispy; set aside with all the drippings.
• 3. While the pancetta is cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks with Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and generous amount of salt and pepper to taste. After draining the pasta, return it to the pot and add the pancetta and drippings. Working quickly, add the egg and cheese mixture stirring everything together until the noodles are coated and creamy. Add pasta water, as needed, to loosen the noodles slightly if the sauce becomes too thick. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Transfer to serving bowls and serve hot with additional cheese.

ULTIMATE SPAGHETTI CARBONARA RECIPE

Steps:

• Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.
• Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind. Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.
• Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper. Set everything aside.
• Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).
• Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.
• While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.
• Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don't worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don't throw the pasta water away yet.
• Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.
• Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn't scramble, and everything is coated.
• Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don't want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.
• Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Steps:

• Place a large pot of lightly salted water (no more than 1 tablespoon salt) over high heat, and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with hot water for serving, and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and pecorino and Parmesan. Season with a pinch of salt and generous black pepper.
• Set the water to boil. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the pork, and sauté until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispness but not hard. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add pasta to the water and boil until a bit firmer than al dente. Just before pasta is ready, reheat guanciale in skillet, if needed. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and add to the skillet over low heat. Stir for a minute or so.
• Empty serving bowl of hot water. Dry it and add hot pasta mixture. Stir in cheese mixture, adding some reserved pasta water if needed for creaminess. Serve immediately, dressing it with a bit of additional grated pecorino and pepper.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA II

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
• Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
• Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
• Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA: THE TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add guanciale (see Cook's Note). Cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Let cool, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, half of the Pecorino Romano cheese, and some black pepper in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour egg mixture over pasta, stirring quickly, until creamy and slightly cooled. Stir in guanciale. Top with remaining Pecorino Romano cheese and more black pepper.

CHICKEN CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and garlic; saute until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• Whisk cream, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, and parsley together in a large bowl until well blended.
• Stir chicken into the pancetta mixture until combined. Add cooked spaghetti and cream mixture. Toss over medium-low heat until chicken is heated through and sauce forms a thick coating over the spaghetti, about 4 minutes. Do not boil or the eggs will scramble. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large, wide serving bowl.

CHEF JOHN'S SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

Steps:

• Cook guanciale with olive oil and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Whisk eggs, 3 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Pour reserved pasta water and drained spaghetti into the bacon-pepper mixture; stir to combine.
• Slowly pour egg mixture into the pasta mixture; cook, stirring constantly until the egg mixture forms a thick sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir remaining 3 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese into the pasta mixture and serve.

ARTICHOKE CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, make the sauce: Cut the guanciale into 1/4-inch-thick slabs and then 1-inch-long strips. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large, deep skillet and heat over medium. Add the guanciale, reduce the heat to low and allow the guanciale to render until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the guanciale from the skillet and reserve. Remove 1 tablespoon of the guanciale drippings to a small bowl and set aside.
• Add the artichokes to the skillet and cook until warmed, stirring carefully so they do not break apart. Stir in the cooked guanciale.
• Add the egg yolks, the cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the small bowl with the reserved guanciale drippings and stir until combined.
• Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then, using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet, mixing to incorporate with the artichokes and guanciale.
• While whisking, slowly drizzle 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture until combined.
• Remove the pasta from the heat and add the egg mixture, tossing vigorously to coat. Add more reserved pasta water incrementally until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
• Divide the pasta among bowls and top with more grated cheese. If desired, place a raw egg yolk on top of each pasta nest. Top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil to finish.

AUTHENTIC PASTA CARBONARA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving pasta water; keep pasta warm. In same pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Add peas; cook until just heated through., Add pasta to pot; toss to combine. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding enough reserved pasta water for sauce to reach desired consistency. If desired, serve with additional cheese.

VEGAN CARBONARA

Steps:

• Boil the spaghetti for 10 mins or following pack instructions until al dente, reserving a little of the water. Put the cashews, bouillon and mustard in a bowl, then pour over 350ml boiling water.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the mushrooms and grated garlic, and stir-fry over a high heat until the mushrooms are cooked and starting to crisp up. Take off the heat, stir in the paprika, then tip onto a plate and set aside.
• Add the grated courgette to the pan and cook, stirring every now and then until softened. Meanwhile, whizz the soaked cashews, whole garlic clove and nutritional yeast flakes, if using, with a hand blender until completely smooth. Tip the mixture into the pan with the courgettes and briefly stir over the heat.
• Add the spaghetti and toss in the cashew and courgette mixture until well coated, then toss through the smoky mushrooms. If following the Healthy Diet Plan, serve half with half the spinach on the side, and chill the rest for another day. Will keep for three days. Reheat in a covered pan with a dash of water, and cook the remaining spinach to serve on the side.

PASTA CARBONARA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil and pancetta over medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned around edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, yolks, and cream; season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute less than package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta water. Add 1 cup pasta water to skillet; bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until reduced slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Slowly add egg mixture to pasta, stirring, until sauce thickens and clings to pasta. Stir in cheese and pancetta; season generously with pepper and serve immediately with more cheese.