Pasta & Noodles Meat & Game

Indulgent Spaghetti Carbonara

Name: Indulgent Spaghetti Carbonara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g Dried Spaghetti; 150 g Pancetta Cubes; 35 g Parmesan Cheese; 3 Egg Yolks (large); 1 Lemon (juice & zest); Garlic Olive Oil; Parsley (to garnish)

A classic Italian pasta dish with silky egg and Parmesan sauce, crispy pancetta, and a hint of lemon for brightness. Simple ingredients create something truly special.

By Ricky Robinson • Updated August 2, 2023

This is Italian cooking at its finest. Spaghetti carbonara brings together simple, honest flavours that work brilliantly when done right.

The sauce is made from eggs, Parmesan cheese, and crispy pancetta, which coat the pasta in a velvety, savoury finish. The trick is using the residual heat from the pasta to gently cook the eggs without scrambling them, creating that signature creamy texture. A touch of lemon zest and juice adds a subtle brightness that cuts through the richness beautifully.

The key to perfect carbonara is controlling the temperature so the eggs create a silky sauce rather than scrambled bits.

This dish comes together quickly once you've got everything prepped, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner or when you want something comforting without too much fuss. The combination of salty pancetta, sharp Parmesan, and smooth egg sauce is genuinely satisfying.

Indulgent Spaghetti Carbonara recipe image

Carbonara is one of those dishes that proves you don't need a long list of ingredients to create something memorable. Just a handful of quality items, cooked with care, deliver proper Italian comfort food.

The pasta water plays an important role here. That starchy cooking liquid helps bind the sauce and gives it a glossy finish, so don't forget to reserve some before draining. When you toss the hot spaghetti with the pancetta and then add the egg mixture off the heat, the warmth cooks the eggs gently to create a coating that clings to every strand. Fresh parsley at the end adds a bit of colour and a hint of freshness to balance the richness.

This recipe serves two generously, though you could stretch it to three smaller portions if you're serving it with a side salad or garlic bread. It's the kind of dish that feels indulgent but comes together in about twenty minutes from start to finish.