Spaghetti alla Carbonara (2024)

This Creamy Carbonara Pasta recipe is a simple, traditional Italian recipe. With bacon, garlic, and fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, it is full of flavor!

This is yet another dish that comes from my amazing brother-in-law, Nick (the Italian cuisine master). You might recall seeing his name attached to the delicious Nick’s Authentic Italian Spaghetti in another post. Nick lived in Italy for a couple years and brought back some awesome recipes, including this Creamy Carbonara Pasta recipe! This is a traditional Italian recipe, very simple and easy, but FULL of flavor. You will love the creamy sauce, crisp bacon, and tender pasta. This stuff is the REAL DEAL – Pasta alla Carbonara. We devoured it! Thanks for sharing with us Nick!

Ingredients in Nick’s Creamy Carbonara Recipe

• Spaghetti – use long noodles like spaghetti, fettuccine, or angel hair
• Bacon – see below for more meat options
• Garlic
• Eggs – Eggs give this pasta sauce the creamiest consistency. Be sure to follow the instructions for tempering the eggs so they don’t scramble in the pan.
• Heavy Cream
• Black Pepper
• Parmigiano Reggiano – grated over the finest side of a box grater, you can also use pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
• Optional Toppings – red pepper flakes, parsley, fresh ground black pepper, green onions, fresh basil, extra grated cheese

Meet the Meat

There are a few options when choosing your meat for this Creamy Carbonara pasta recipe. All have merit, some people have a favorite. Let me introduce you to…

• Pancetta: a cured, not smoked, cut of pork belly. Often used in Italy, you can find cured pork in soups and pastas to add flavor, depth, and salt. A versatile Italian protein, pancetta is delicious when chopped and fried. Easy to find at most grocery stores, pancetta is a traditional choice for carbonara.
• Guanciale: an Italian cured meat made from pork jowl or cheeks. Guanciale is the most traditional meat choice for this creamy carbonara recipe, although it not easily found at most grocery stores. It has a salty, fatty, and rich flavor, very similar to pancetta or bacon. Like pancetta, it too is cured, not smoked.
• Bacon: a type of pork made from the belly or less fatty parts of the back that is either salt-cured or smoked. As it is cheapest and easiest to get ahold of, bacon (among some) is a popular choice for this pasta dish.

Best Cheese in Classic Carbonara

Many say a TRUE carbonara uses Pecorino Romano, but many people use Parmesan (or Parmigiano Reggiano). Both cheeses are aged, hard cheeses with a salty tang. The main difference is that Pecorino Romano is made with sheep’s milk, which Parmesan is made with cow’s milk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read More: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love

Make an Italian Feast

When it comes to amazing Italian dishes like this creamy carbonara recipe, there is no shortage of recipes that really get our mouths watering. If you’re looking for something light, check out our Easy Italian Pasta Salad or our Zesty Italian Lunch Wrap. Both are packed with flavor but are light enough to suffice for lunch, or a quick and delicious summery dinner.

Perhaps you’re more interested in a full Italian feast, something filling and a spread you can share. Try our Italian Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, served with Cheesy Italian Bread and One Pan Chicken and Italian Style Veggies on the side.

No matter which way you choose to go, you won’t be sorry. Italian food has a way of drawing people in and making them feel at home. There is just something about walking in the door and noting the aroma of Italian seasoning, tomatoes, garlic and bread mingling in the air. Geez! Is it dinner time yet? We’re getting hungry just thinking about all these options!

How to Make Nick’s Creamy Carbonara Recipe