Creamy Bacon Carbonara

I finally found a carbonara recipe that I love. The sauce is so creamy, cheesy and so good.

The best part is that the pickiest eater gobbled this down and my other boy had seconds!

It was pretty easy to throw the whole thing together.  I felt like it was the perfect Sunday meal served with a side salad and garlic bread!

If you want a quick and easy delicious meal in just minutes, this is the dish. This pasta carbonara only takes 30 minutes from start to finish!

It is simply delicious and so easy to make at home. Everyone will be raving over this incredible creamy pasta!

What you need to make creamy bacon carbonara:

Simplicity is key with this carbonara meal! The use of good quality ingredients is a must though!

For a fully traditional carbonara recipe, use pancetta instead of bacon.

• Eggs- all you need is just the yolks!
• Cream or Heavy Cream  (Whipping Cream)- half and half will work but for a rich, creamy blend heavy whipping cream is my preference.
• Parmesan- use a sharp, hard cheese of parmesan that is shaved instead of grated for a less gritty texture on your pasta.
• Fresh diced Parsley or dried flakes- fresh and chopped up very fine add color and some fragrant garnish.
• Salt- season to your liking.
• Red Pepper flakes- a little kick of heat to help aid in flavor.
• Bacon- a good thick cut bacon or even a high quality standard cut of bacon will make a difference.
• Mushrooms chopped- this is optional but I love mushrooms and can’t leave them out.
• Onion chopped- this is optional but adds a great flavor.
• Pasta- linguine is my favorite but spaghetti will work great too.

How to make creamy bacon carbonara:

This recipe is simple to make but is a little delicate if made too fast.

• Prepare the pasta: cook the pasta according to the package.
• Start the Sauce: beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl. I just used a fork but a whisk will work great too.
• Fry the bacon: until it is crisp, then crumble and set aside.
• Saute: With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, sauté the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden.
• Drain the pasta: While it is still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms.
• Pour: cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes. Don’t do this on high heat, or you will make scrambled eggs.
• Serve it hot: with additional Parmesan, and a loaf of Crusty French bread and a salad.

What is carbonara?

Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish from Rome made with egg, hard cheese, guanciale, and black pepper.

The dish arrived at its modern form, with its current name, in the middle of the 20th century.

How to make it a traditional carbonara recipe:

If you want to make this a more authentic carbonara recipe mix the cream and use pancetta or guanciale which is a pork jowl.

You can find at most specialty Italian supermarkets or in some unique grocery stores.

Just keep in mind that when substituting the heavy cream it will result in a dish that may be a bit drier, hence not quite a creamy carbonara.

For pasta you can also use fettuccine, rigatoni, or bucatini.

Can you Store Carbonara?

Yes! If you have any left overs, store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

When reheating, warm over low heat until the sauce is warm.

You may need to add a 1 tablespoon of milk or cream to keep a creamy consistency.

Unfortunately, carbonara pasta does not freeze well with the creams and pasta.

The pasta can become mushy and the creamy sauce can separate when reheating. Making it a day ahead will work great too.

This is a quick and easy recipe to make ahead of time but best to serve hot.

Tips for creamy bacon carbonara:

Getting carbonara just right can take some practice. So don’t worry if your carbonara sauce is a little lumpy the first time you make it.

• Have you sauce completely prepared before starting on the pasta. You will want your pasta hot when making the egg mixture.
• You will not want to cook the sauce or you will make scrambled eggs.
• When stirring the egg mixture into the pasta it needs to be quickly but not hot enough to scramble the egg.
• An easy add in to this pasta are chicken, shrimp, ham and more vegetables.
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is best. Avoid pre-shredded parmesan. It does not melt smoothly when heating over the stove.
• Powdered grated parmesan cheese can be used if necessary.
• Double the sauce for it to be saucy enough.
• I also put the sauce on low whisking consistently while I cooked the noodles because I wanted the eggs to cook enough.  You have to watch it though or your sauce will turn into scrambled eggs.

Looking for more Italian recipes?! Try these!

• Italian Orzo and Sausage Skillet
• Creamy Tomato Italian Parmesan Chicken
• Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Potatoes
• Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce 
• Skillet Pork Cacciatore