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Creamy Bacon Carbonara is a classic Italian creamy pasta. Bacon, mushrooms, and onions are cooked together and tossed in a cheesy, rich egg yolk sauce for an easy 30 minute meal! A quick and easy dinner that is made in minutes!
Pasta is a weekly special in our home! If you love pasta as much as we do try this Creamy Garlic Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, this easy and delicious Creamy Chicken Bacon and Broccoli Ranch Pasta or one of our favorites, Creamy Pork Carnitas Pasta.
Creamy Bacon Carbonara
Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish from Rome made with egg, hard cheese, guanciale, and black pepper. 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 creamy bacon 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! I know a lot of people are worried about the sauce breaking because of the egg. It was easier than I thought! Just go low and slow. It will totally work out! Once you try this recipe, you’ll want to try this easy pasta carbonara too. It’s delish!
Ingredients
Simplicity is key with this creamy bacon carbonara meal! The use of good quality ingredients is a must though! For a fully traditional carbonara recipe, use pancetta instead of bacon. You can find the exact measurements below in the recipe card.
- Eggs: All you need is the yolks!
- Heavy 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.
- Parsley: 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 add flavor.
- Bacon: A good thick cut bacon or even a high quality standard cut of bacon will make a difference. You can also use pancetta which is the traditional meat in the dish.
- Mushrooms: This is optional but I love mushrooms and can’t leave them out.
- Onion: This is optional but adds a great flavor.
- Pasta: Linguine is my favorite but spaghetti will work great too.
Creamy Bacon Carbonara Recipe
This creamy bacon carbonara recipe is simple to make but is a little delicate. Don’t try to rush through this recipe! The eggs will scramble if you have your pan too hot, so make sure to really take your time so you don’t end up with a scrambled mess. It is not a hard recipe, you just have to be a little patient.
- Prepare Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package.
- Beat: Beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl. I just used a fork.
- Fry Bacon: Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside.
- Saute: With 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease, sauté the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden.
- Drain: Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms.
- Pour and Stir: Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes. Make sure to use LOW heat or you will scramble the eggs.
- Enjoy: Serve with additional Parmesan, and a loaf of Crusty French bread and a salad. So Good!
Tips and Tricks
This creamy bacon carbonara is really a simple sauce with noodles. You are gong to fall in love with how much flavor it has! Here are a few tips to get the most out of this recipe.
- Authentic Carbonara: 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.
- Don’t Scramble Eggs: 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.
- Add Protein: A great way to make this a filling and well rounded meal is to add a protein like chicken, shrimp or ham.
- Double the Sauce: I doubled the sauce recipe and I saved a bit of the pasta water, just in case my sauce got thicker than I liked – simply add a bit if you need.
Storing Leftovers
You can definitely store your leftover creamy bacon carbonara. The key is reheating it really slow so that you don’t risk breaking the sauce. I would not recommend freezing this dish because of the cream in the sauce. Here is how to store and reheat your dish.
- In the Refrigerator: You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: When reheating, warm over low heat until the sauce is warm. You may need to add a tablespoon of milk or cream to keep a creamy consistency.
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Beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl. I just used a fork.
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Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside.
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With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, sauté the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden.
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Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms.
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Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes.
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I don’t do this on high heat, or you will make scrambled eggs.
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Serve with additional Parmesan, and a loaf of Crusty French bread and a salad. So Good!
Originally Posted Aug 2019
Serves: 6
Calories385kcal (19%)Carbohydrates32g (11%)Protein14g (28%)Fat22g (34%)Saturated Fat9g (45%)Cholesterol97mg (32%)Sodium450mg (19%)Potassium235mg (7%)Fiber2g (8%)Sugar2g (2%)Vitamin A332IU (7%)Vitamin C1mg (1%)Calcium94mg (9%)Iron1mg (6%)
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.