Carbonara Macaroni

This Carbonara Macaroni is made with eggs, Pecorino Romano, parmesan, pepper, olive oil, bacon and al dente macaroni.

This is one of the easiest pasta dishes that uses minimal ingredients and will be ready in 15 minutes, loaded with parmesan and crispy bacon. This dish is so amazingly indulgent and luscious, and it takes just as long as the pasta cooks. The beaten eggs are tossed into the hot pasta and the fat from the bacon. If you are nervous about eaten the eggs, it actually gets completely cooked in the residual heat. Just be sure to work quickly so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.

If you love this recipe, check out my Pancetta Mushroom Pasta and my Creamy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Carbonara Macaroni
• Food safety

Ingredients

• Eggs
• Pecorino romano
• Parmesan
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil
• Bacon
• Macaroni

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, pecorino and parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper.

While the water is still boiling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon and sauté until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispiness. Remove from heat.

Add the pasta to the water and boil until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and add to the warm skillet. Stir for a minute.

Stir in the egg mixture, adding some reserve pasta water is needed for creaminess.

Serve immediately and top with extra parmesan or pepper.

Hint: The pan shouldn't be super hot when you add the cheese and egg mixture.

Substitutions

Eggs: For best quality, use cage free, organic eggs from your local supermarket. Make sure they reach room temperature before using, making them less likely to curdle once you toss them in the cooked pasta.

Garlic: You can smash the garlic or mince it.

Olive Oil: I would extra virgin olive oil for best quality and taste.

Pasta: I used macaroni but you can use any type of pasta for this. It is traditionally made with spaghetti, bucatini or fettucine. All of them work super well.

Parmesan: I prefer grating the parmesan myself for the best flavor. You could also use regular grated parmesan from the store.

Pecorino: If you cannot find pecorino anywhere, you can use all parmesan.

Bacon: Traditionally, carbonara is made with guanciale, a robustly flavored meat from Italy. It is difficult to find this in stores. I used bacon because I couldn’t find guanciale or pancetta. If you can’t find pancetta anywhere, it is almost okay to substitute with finely chopped bacon or bacon lardons.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation of this Carbonara Macaroni.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
• Deluxe - add chopped parsley on top.
• Kid friendly - add a ton of parmesan cheese at the end so your kid will enjoy more!

Check out this Garlic Broccoli Pasta on my site.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This Carbonara Macaroni will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Make sure the eggs reach room temperature before using, making them less likely to curdle once you toss them in the cooked pasta.

Print

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.