This delicious spaghetti carbonara is easy to make with bacon, eggs, and Parmesan cheese. It’s creamy without any cream and full of flavor. Perfect for a quick dinner that feels special but uses simple ingredients you already have.

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Ingredients Needed:

1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or as needed
8 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
4 large eggs, beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

How To Make Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe?

Boil the Spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add spaghetti, and cook until tender but firm, about 12 minutes. Drain it, mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and set aside.
Cook the Bacon: In a large skillet, cook diced bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet.
Sauté Onion and Garlic: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add chopped onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add Wine: Pour in the wine and cook for another minute to bring out flavor.
Combine Pasta and Bacon: Add the bacon back to the pan, then add the cooked spaghetti. Toss everything together and heat through. Add more olive oil if the pasta feels too dry.
Add Eggs and Cheese: Pour in the beaten eggs and quickly toss the pasta with tongs until the eggs just start to cook and turn creamy. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese and toss again.
Season and Serve: Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm topped with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan at the table.

Recipe Tips:

Use hot pasta when adding the eggs: The heat from the pasta is what gently cooks the eggs and makes the sauce creamy. If the pasta cools down, the eggs won’t cook right.
Toss the pasta quickly after adding eggs: Don’t wait. Keep tossing right away so the eggs don’t scramble. You want a smooth, silky sauce, not chunks of cooked egg.
Don’t skip the wine: Even a small splash adds real flavor and helps lift the bacon and onion taste. It makes a big difference.
Control the salt: Taste before adding extra salt. Bacon and Parmesan are salty on their own, so it’s easy to go overboard if you’re not careful.
Grate your own Parmesan: Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as well and can make the sauce clumpy. Freshly grated cheese melts smooth and creamy.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

Refrigerate: First, let the leftover spaghetti carbonara cool down to room temperature. Then, place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Add the pasta to a pan with a splash of water or milk. Heat over low heat, stirring gently until warmed through and creamy again.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 480 kcal
Total Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 160mg
Sodium: 680mg
Potassium: 220mg
Total Carbohydrate: 45g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 20g

Try More Delia Smith Recipes:

Delia Smith Date And Walnut Cake Recipe
Delia Smith Corned Beef Hash Recipe

Delia Smith Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

480

kcal

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or as needed
8 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
4 large eggs, beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Boil the Spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add spaghetti, and cook until tender but firm, about 12 minutes. Drain it, mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and set aside.
Cook the Bacon: In a large skillet, cook diced bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet.
Sauté Onion and Garlic: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add chopped onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add Wine: Pour in the wine and cook for another minute to bring out flavor.
Combine Pasta and Bacon: Add the bacon back to the pan, then add the cooked spaghetti. Toss everything together and heat through. Add more olive oil if the pasta feels too dry.
Add Eggs and Cheese: Pour in the beaten eggs and quickly toss the pasta with tongs until the eggs just start to cook and turn creamy. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese and toss again.
Season and Serve: Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm topped with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan at the table.

Notes

Use hot pasta when adding the eggs: The heat from the pasta is what gently cooks the eggs and makes the sauce creamy. If the pasta cools down, the eggs won’t cook right.
Toss the pasta quickly after adding eggs: Don’t wait. Keep tossing right away so the eggs don’t scramble. You want a smooth, silky sauce, not chunks of cooked egg.
Don’t skip the wine: Even a small splash adds real flavor and helps lift the bacon and onion taste. It makes a big difference.
Control the salt: Taste before adding extra salt. Bacon and Parmesan are salty on their own, so it’s easy to go overboard if you’re not careful.
Grate your own Parmesan: Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as well and can make the sauce clumpy. Freshly grated cheese melts smooth and creamy.