Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

This Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe using ham is so rich and decadent yet incredibly easy and budget-friendly to make. 

Pasta is combined with a delicious creamy parmesan sauce and savory crisped ham, bacon or pancetta.

Spaghetti Carbonara is one of the easiest meals to make and the first meal I taught my children to make on their own in the kitchen.  It makes a regular appearance on our dinner table because of its simplicity and the kids love it!

It uses the simplest ingredients you most likely have on hand in the pantry and refrigerator and comes together in under 20 minutes.  If you have any leftover ham from Easter or even any thinly sliced deli ham, this is a perfect dish to make.

While carbonara is traditionally made with pancetta, I don’t normally have pancetta on hand, but I always have ham or bacon, and I think it tastes just as good.

Some people get nervous to make carbonara because it uses a raw egg, but the heat of the pasta and pasta water essentially cooks the egg enough when making the sauce that there is no need to worry.

As long as you add the eggs to the pasta immediately after draining, the heat will transform the eggs into a creamy, luscious sauce that makes the carbonara.

Do not rinse the pasta for this recipe.  The extra starches in the pasta help to make the sauce extra creamy and add to the texture for the ultimate carbonara.

If you want to increase the nutritional value, you can add peas to the pasta.  I microwave 1/2 cup of frozen peas for 1.5 minutes and add at the same time that I add the ham.

Ingredients in Carbonara

• spaghetti noodles
• onion or shallot
• garlic
• ham, bacon or pancetta
• olive oil
• eggs
• parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Optional

• parsley
• peas

How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara

Whisk together the eggs, black pepper, and parmesan cheese and set aside.  This will be added to the hot noodles immediately after they are drained, so it should be ready and room temperature at the same time as the noodles are ready.

Boil the noodles according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain the noodles.

Dice the ham into tiny cubes.

Heat a skillet on the stovetop and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Saute the onions and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes.

Add the diced ham and saute until the onions are soft and the ham is slightly browned and crispy over medium heat.

Once the noodles are ready, and you have reserved 1 cup of the hot pasta water, drain the noodles and put back in the pot.  Immediately add the eggs and stir vigorously.  Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thin the creaminess of the noodles and form a luscious sauce.  If needed, you can add the rest of the pasta water if your noodles are stuck together.  Add the ham and onion mixture and stir until incorporated.

Top with extra grated parmesan cheese cracked black pepper and minced parsley.

Serve while hot.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti noodles are tossed in a delicious and creamy parmesan sauce with savory ham in this spaghetti carbonara recipe.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Spaghetti Carbonara

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories:

Author: Eva Fry

Ingredients

• 1 lb. spaghetti noodles
• onion or shallot
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 6 slices ham bacon or pancetta, diced into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Optional
• parsley
• peas

Instructions

• Whisk together the eggs, black pepper, and parmesan cheese and set aside.  This will be added to the hot noodles immediately after they are drained, so it should be ready and room temperature at the same time as the noodles are ready.
• Boil the spaghetti noodles in salted water according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain the noodles.
• Dice the ham into tiny cubes.
• Heat a skillet on the stovetop and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Saute the onions and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes.
• Add the diced ham and saute until the onions are soft and the ham is slightly browned and crispy over medium heat.
• Once the noodles are ready, and you have reserved 1 cup of the hot pasta water, drain the noodles and put back in the pot.
• Immediately add the eggs and stir vigorously.  Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thin the creaminess of the noodles and form a luscious sauce.
• Add the ham and onion mixture and stir until incorporated.
• If needed, you can add the rest of the pasta water if your noodles are stuck together.
• Top with extra grated parmesan cheese cracked black pepper and minced parsley.
• Serve while hot.