Authentic Italian Pasta Carbonara
Authentic Italian Pasta Carbonara recipe exactly how they make it in Rome! The eggs give it the silky, creamy texture this pasta dish is known for without all of the heavy cream.
When bacon and pasta unite into one delicious meal, you know it’s going to be a beautiful thing. I confess that I am Italian, yet I’ve been making carbonara sauce with heavy cream all of these years. When you order it in most authentic Italian restaurants it will not contain the cream. The egg is what gives it the creaminess that is the best part about this dish. Come learn how to make Authentic Italian Pasta Carbonara with me today!
You won’t miss the heavy cream in this Italian Pasta Carbonara one single bit. The bacon and cheese give it the best flavor that will keep you coming back for more. I made this every Valentine’s Day for a while until this year (it was a little bit warmer outside) when I switched it up and we made my perfect ribeye steak on the grill.
This is a dish I order almost every time I see it on the menu somewhere. Mr. Wishes always says “Oh, I already know what you’re getting!” when he first sees it listed. I have eaten it all different ways and love it no matter what. As time went by, I knew I needed to have a good go-to, authentic recipe for Italian Pasta Carbonara or can I really call myself Italian?
I do still love this dish with heavy cream, as some restaurants prepare it. It is always nice to have a version that is more authentic and even a bit less “heavy” to make at home. I can only handle a heavy cream sauce every so often and more times than not my body makes me pay for it!
When I AM in the mood for a good cream sauce, I like to make my Philly Cheesesteak Pasta or my One Pot Creamy Jalapeño Popper Pasta. This particular pasta dish comes together in no time at all and is pure comfort food.
If you ask Mr. Wishes what his favorite pasta dish is, he will 100% of the time say this Chicken Bellagio dinner. He begs for it all of the time and I am the worst wife because I only make it a few times per year! It is a bit more “involved” but worth every single second of preparation. I hope you try them both and happy pasta cooking!
- 1 pound Bacon
- 1 pound Linguine/Fettucine/Spaghetti Pasta
- 8 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 whole Large Onion
- 1 cup White Wine (can use chicken stock instead)
- 5 whole Eggs
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 1-1/2 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano Cheese, freshly grated is best
- 1 bunch Fresh Parsley, chopped
- ½ stick (1/4 cup) Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
- Slice up 1 pound of bacon into pieces about one inch wide. Toss into hot stainless steel pan. Cook until browned and crisp.
- While the bacon’s cooking, boil a large pot of salted water on the stove. Once boiling, add your pasta and cook until al dente.
- Chop the onion. When the bacon is cooked, scoop it out with a slotted spoon and set it onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Keep bacon grease in skillet - you'll need it later.
- Transfer the diced onions into the bacon grease. Give the onions a quick stir and let them cook down over a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.
- After the onions have cooked for a couple of minutes, throw in the minced garlic. Watch closely and stir to prevent burning. After the onion and garlic have cooked for another couple of minutes, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Discard the bacon grease at this time.
- Place the pan back on high heat. Pour in the white wine (or chicken stock). Whisk until pan is deglazed/brown bits have come off of the bottom of the pan.
- Add 1 cup of chicken stock. Return bacon, onion and garlic back to the pan. Let simmer over medium heat.
- Crack eggs into a large bowl. Add most of the cheese, and chopped parsley, adding it into the eggs as well. Leave a little cheese and parsley out for a garnish later. Mix well with a fork.
- Drain pasta. Move quickly so the pasta stays hot. Add the pasta to the egg mixture and then add the bacon/onion mixture.
- Add your butter in there. Mix it all together well.
- Add pepper, more or less to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!
Love this dish — SO much flavor. I usually make mine with egg, too. Bacon and eggs, right? 🙂
Having never eaten it or cooked it, my question is about the egg mixture. Does the heat from the pasta cook it enough? Seems a little scary with alk that raw egg!
Yes it gets very warm from the hot pasta but without scrambling them.
I watched Rachel Day make it today she used just the egg yolks I am going to make this recipe but not whole eggs
I have done this with 3 whole eggs & 2 egg yolks.. Came out super yummy.. 🙂