Best 15-Minute Creamy Carbonara (Print Version)

Silky pasta with pancetta and Parmesan, creamy and ready in only 15 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz spaghetti or linguine

→ Sauce

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 3½ tbsp heavy cream (optional)
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
06 - Pinch of salt

→ Meats

07 - 2.5 oz pancetta or guanciale, diced

→ Garnish

08 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
09 - Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp. Remove from heat.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream if using, salt, and generous freshly ground black pepper until smooth.
04 - Add the hot, drained pasta to the skillet with pancetta and toss to combine.
05 - Remove the skillet from heat. Immediately pour the egg-Parmesan mixture over the pasta, tossing vigorously to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water gradually to achieve a creamy, glossy sauce.
06 - Transfer to plates and garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery and tastes twice as good.
  • You get restaurant-quality creaminess without any actual cream if you skip it.
  • The salty pancetta and sharp Parmesan do all the flavor work for you.
  • Theres something deeply satisfying about tossing hot pasta into eggs and watching it turn silky.
02 -
  • Always take the skillet off the heat before adding the egg mixture, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs instead of sauce.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need, it's your secret weapon for fixing a sauce that's too thick.
  • Toss fast and with confidence, the residual heat from the pasta does the cooking.
03 -
  • Let the pancetta cool for 30 seconds before adding the pasta so the eggs don't cook too fast.
  • Warm your serving bowls in the oven for a minute, it keeps the carbonara creamy longer.
  • If you want it richer, use an extra egg yolk instead of cream.
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