The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Spaghetti alla Carbonara

5.00 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s)8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

This is one of the first dishes I ever ate—or I should probably say, experienced—when I moved to Italy as a tweenager, and since then it has been one of my all-time favorites. From that very first taste, Italian food has inspired and intrigued me. I can’t seem to get enough.

Ingredients

  • 1 package Spaghetti
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ½ packages Bacon Or Pancetta, Cut Into Small Pieces
  • 4 whole Large Garlic Cloves, Minced
  • 2 whole Large Eggs
  • 1-½ cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, Divided
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
  • Fresh Parsley For Garnish (optional)

Preparation

In a large pasta pot, add enough water to cook your pasta. Salt your water generously. Once water comes to a boil, add spaghetti and stir so that the pasta separates. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente.

WHILE the spaghetti is cooking, in a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil and cook bacon until fairly crisp (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add in garlic and cook for another minute (you don’t want your garlic to burn). While these are cooking, crack your eggs into a small bowl and add 1 cup of your cheese. Stir together and set aside.

Take a ladle of the spaghetti water and set aside. Drain your pasta well and add to bacon mixture. It is IMPORTANT that your pasta is HOT when adding it to the mixture. Toss well (I find tongs work really well for this). Take off of heat. Add in your cheese and egg mixture and toss well. If you find the mixture is too thick, you can thin it out with a little of the pasta water (remember you can always add more, so add sparingly). Season well with pepper.

Garnish with the remainder of your cheese and fresh parsley if you like. This dish is best eaten immediately.

Buon appetito!

7 Comments

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mamalolly on 2.14.2016

This is HANDS DOWN the best recipe I have ever had. I have meaning to post a message to you for over a year, that’s how long I’ve been making your recipe. I have shared it numerous times and it is always a huge hit. Thank you, thank you, thank you bell’alimento! I am making it again tonight and as a special treat I am throwing in some shrimp along with the bacon for a special Valentine’s Dinner. Buon appetito!

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nika on 11.4.2009

what an inspiring recipe!! thank you for sharing!!

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jeanneb on 9.30.2009

This was awesome!

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emilyh on 9.26.2009

This was very tasty! Super-quick and easy to make.

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Aleksss on 9.22.2009

i’ve been looking for a nice carbonara recipe for so long, but most of them are way too rich and heavy for my taste!
this sounds so delicious
thank you so much for sharing!!!

8 Reviews

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mamalolly on 2.14.2016

I tried to give it 10 oven mitts but it won’t let me. Trust me, it’s a 10!

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Cathy Bray on 10.22.2013

Simple and Yummy! Thank you for the recipe!

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stacey87 on 6.4.2013

Very Good! Hubby and I loved it, and the leftovers were great as well. I used vegetarian bacon instead of real and just cooked it for less time. Thanks!

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fightpilotswife on 11.3.2011

This was as good as any carbonara that I’ve ordered in restaurants! My family all loved it and the 4 of us devoured the entire dish. :) Thanks so much!

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misssweething on 4.7.2011

Simple and tasty.
I used pancetta, easy to get at Fred Meyers, by the deli section. When the pancetta was about as crispy as I like, I threw in some sugarsnap peas (roughly cut into smaller pieces). I did end up putting about a full laddle full of pasta water to get it creamy.
It was great. Thanks for the recipe.

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