Pasta Carbonara — Easiest Weeknight Dinner
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I know what you’re thinking: Pasta carbonara? The week after Thanksgiving? Thanks, but no thanks.
But, and forgive me if I’m wrong, I think you might be thinking of an entirely different dish, one containing vast amounts of cheese and butter?
I had misconceptions, too. But true pasta carbonara is in fact light, and this recipe, from Everyday Food, calls for sautéed leeks, grated lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice, flavors that make this carbonara preparation particularly fresh and light. What I love most about this dish is the sauce, made with two whisked eggs, 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, and 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, an incredibly creamy mixture (despite containing no cream at all) that coats the pasta so well, making every bite especially tasty. Oddly, it tastes not the least bit eggy. Just creamy and delicious. Yum.
With bacon and eggs on hand, dinner can be assembled in a flash. I’ve made this dish once a week since my Everyday Food magazine arrived in mid-October. Nothing makes me happier than whisking that pasta cooking liquid with the eggs and cheese, watching it transform into a magically flavorful sauce, and throwing dinner on the table. I think you’ll enjoy it, too.
PS: Pasta Carbonara with Asparagus
PPS: No-Bacon Carbonara with ALL the Greens
How to Make Pasta Carbonara, Step by Step
First, slice up some leeks. Transfer them to a large bowl of cold water to soak and to let the dirt settle — leeks can be very dirty.
Then, dice up some bacon and …
… crisp it up in a pan.
Set it aside; then cook the leeks in the bacon fat.
Boil a pot of water; then cook whatever pasta you like till al dente.
I’ve been loving this Casarecce:
This is the key step: be sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking liquid. You only need 1/4 cup initially, but I suggest reserving much more because it’s so nice having on hand for reheating.
Whisk together the sauce: 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 cup parmesan, and 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid.
Drain the pasta.
Add it to the skillet with the leeks, the crisped bacon, and the sauce.
Chop up some parsley.
Add it to the skillet and stir to combine.
Shave more parmesan and crack more pepper over top to taste.
Soooo good.
Pasta Carbonara — Easiest Weeknight Dinner
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 4
Description
Adapted from: Everyday Food
Note: If you want to make this vegetarian, use 3 tablespoons of olive oil in place of the bacon.
Ingredients
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 leeks (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, soaked in cold water and drained
- 3/4 pound pasta, such as campanelle, orecchiette, or gemelli
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 pound of asparagus, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Set a large pot of salted water to boil (I use 1 tablespoon kosher salt).
- In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet. (Alternatively use 3 tablespoons of olive oil in place of the bacon.) Add the leeks, season lightly with salt to taste, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until leeks are soft and beginning to brown at the edges, about 10 minutes.
- Add pasta to pot and cook al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 to 2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk 1/4 cup pasta water into egg mixture.
- If using the asparagus, add it to the pot of pasta, then drain the pot immediately. Add the pasta and asparagus to the skillet with the leeks and immediately add the egg mixture, along with the bacon, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add more pasta cooking water as needed. Serve immediately with more parmesan and pepper on the side.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian, American
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78 Comments on “Pasta Carbonara — Easiest Weeknight Dinner”
I love the leek & lemon additions to this! Carbonara made like this is one of my go-to meals when Paul isn’t home. I love it, but he isn’t a fan.
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. My husband tends to add cream to his carbonara even though I know that when in Italy, cream would never be used. In fact, when we were last in Rome, I remember having one of the creamiest carbonaras knowing full well that it was the eggs that did the trick. Lemon juice sounds like a perfect touch … will try this recipe this week!
If this tastes anything like this looks, I would eat the whole bowl. This is a family favorite, but I never put leeks and I can see how that would be a nice addition of flavor.
This does seem like a simple dish one can whip together and have on the table in no time! I love foods that incorporate nutritionally dense ingredients and don’t take too long to prepare. Simple, delicious, and nutritious – my favorite meal and snack attributes. 🙂
no cream? wow, I’ve always made carbonara by mixing the egg yolks with the cream and then adding at the end. Jamie Oliver mislead me because yours looks and sounds way better than what I was making. And can we talk about those eggs for a second, wow! They are beautiful. Also love the addition of sauteed leeks. Great photos as always.
I made this for dinner tonight – so yummy! I like the lemons. I accidentally dumped out my pasta before reserving the liquid but it wasnt a problem. I told Will that this was actually a pretty healthy dinner for us / and then I told him how funny you are and how you reserved all the bacon fat bc you couldn’t bear to throw it out. I informed him I had done the same, which caused him to question my earlier claim… Hahhaha. I think this will definitely be a regular in our house 🙂
Haha…yeah, I suppose I need to take into account all of that bacon goodness before I start making “light dish” claims. I’m so glad you liked it in any case! And it’s good to know that the recipe still works without the pasta cooking liquid. Mr. Bell is making it for Aims tonight, too. Fun!
I made this tonight for dinner – great recipe. I only used 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and thought the leeks did need a little more oil so I added Hickory smoked olive oil by TOOC…so good! Then I was a little concerned about the uncooked eggs so I tossed everything back in the pan and heated it for a few minutes. It did the trick.
I’m so glad you liked this Vicki! I miss TOOC products. Hickory smoked must be new, right? Sounds fantastic. Are you shocked that I kept all of the bacon fat? Perhaps my “lite” categorization wasn’t quite accurate 🙂
Made this for dinner last night and both my husband and I flipped. I’ve never made carbonara before because I had the misconception that it was too rich — like alfredo. I cut the lemon/lemon zest down to only a tsp each since my husband is slightly lemon phobic for savory dishes. I drained the bacon and onion (didn’t have leeks) and I had to heat the whole mixture a few seconds to get it to thicken. But this is delightful and we’ll make it over and over again. Thanks!
Sunie — so glad it turned out well for you! Yes, it has become a staple in our house as well!
Yes, Hickory smoke came in the most recent shipment from the Temecula Olive Oil Company. I was trying to figure out how to use it. It was soooo good in the carbonara! I think it would also be great to use in a spinach salad.
My mother had a recipe for “bacon spaghetti” in which she would use the fat from a pound of bacon. We loved it! I could never do that now. So your four tablespoons of fat is “lite”. ( comparatively)
You have inspired me. I have cooked two of your recipes today and it made for a delicious Sunday! This might be one of the best things I have ever made. I only tweaked a couple of things – I used two leeks instead of four, half a box of campanelle (serves 2), I used all of the juice from one lemon and used all of the bacon fat (you’re right!). Because I wanted to make sure the eggs were cooked thoroughly (the pasta water alone didn’t seem to be working), I added the egg mixture to the pasta and put it back on the stove for a couple minutes until it started to form, then I added the bacon and leeks, stirred and added more Parmesan. I put the parsley on top in the serving bowl very last. DELICIOUS! Thank you thank you for introducing me to such a wonderful recipe.
Cassie — This makes me so happy. I love this recipe, too, and it definitely seems adaptable — if you stick to the main sauce part (pasta cooking liquid, lemon juice and parmesan), I think you could add any number of things to make it just how you like it! Thanks for writing in —
So glad I made this. I’m not much of a cook, but it looked simple enough to tackle. I’m lactose intolerant, so I’m glad I could enjoy this without the cream. I used Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon. Turned out great. Thanks for pinning this recipe, I will use it again and again.
So glad to heat this Jacquie!
How many servings does this make?
Sharon — This makes 4 servings. If you have a big eater in your house — my husband gobbled this up! — it might make closer to 3.
New fan here and I am in love. This looks excellent. Very excited to see what else you have coming.
This looks SO good. I want to make it tonight! Question, though: I think I’m down to my last two bacon slices, but I know I have cured chorizo – do you think a mix of both would work?
Actually, scratch that – chorizo is never wrong. Bacon is never wrong. Chorizo and bacon together cannot possibly be wrong.
This was great! I never would have thought of the leeks. I substituted pancetta for bacon, used 3 eggs and a whole box of pasta, and tossed in some sauteed summer squash too.
I just made this for dinner and Zach and I both absolutely loved it. The lemon is a genius addition, I never would have guessed, but it really did give the pasta a nice zing. I made it a bit of a whatever-was-in-the-veggie-drawer type of carbonara, adding spinach (yum), onion, zucchini and peas to the leeks. This will definitely be a weeknight staple for us! Also, I think if I had taken a picture of my pasta it would love looked like a giant green-tan blob.
This looks fantastic! Great idea 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that I thought this looked so delicious that I made my own vegetarian version 🙂 you can see it here if you’re interested:
https://amuse-your-bouche.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/vegetarian-pasta-carbonara.html
Becca — I’m so glad you found a vegetarian variation for this dish. Thanks for sharing! Love the idea of olives.
I made this for dinner tonight. Wow. It was just wonderful. I zested a whole lemon and used all the juice. I also added leftover peas and a small potato. Everyone had seconds. Thanks for this knockout recipe.
Liz — so happy to hear this! It is a great way to use up any leftover vegetables. So happy you like this too. It’s probably our favorite pasta recipe — every bite is so flavorful.
This pasta looks beautiful with this wonderful, crispy bacon…
Altgold — this is one of my favorite pastas. So easy and easily adaptable to your preferences. I add asparagus in the spring; broccoli this time of year.
I made this tonight. I have never made a carbonara before but, was so glad it was this easy!! I loved how light it was, and how delicious it was thank you for posting!!
Steph — SO happy to hear this. This is truly one of my favorite recipes. It always works. And every bite is always so flavorful. So glad you approve!
I’ve made this several times, and just had to comment because when I told my husband we were having this tonight, his eyes lit up. It’s definitely one of our favorite meals! I use a full box of pasta, regardless of weight, because I’m lazy, but other than that I don’t change a thing. It’s just perfect!
Suzanne — I’m so happy to hear this. This is truly one of my favorite pasta dishes as well. It always comes out well — every bite of pasta is bursting with flavor, and it is truly on the light side as far as bacon-laced pasta dishes go 🙂
I just made this, and it is FANTASTIC!! As most other people I tweaked the dish a little by adding 2 cloves of garlic – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Thank you for this amazing dish!
Kristian — wonderful to hear this! Love the idea of garlic. Will try that next time.
This was amazing! I accidentally bought cilantro instead of parsley and it ended up being a delicious mistake! The flavors are delicate enough that the cilantro was a perfect match. I only used a bit of the bacon grease to cook the leeks to lighten it up a bit and I felt that it was still quite flavorful. Wonderful recipe!
Laureen — wonderful to hear this! And I think going light on the bacon grease is always wise…I somehow just can’t resist adding it all…but my mother always drains most of the fat and swears the recipe doesn’t need it, so I should probably listen to you both!
Hi! This looks great, but I have a question.
When you add the pasta water to the blended cheese/egg/lemon mixture, is the water hot? Like, is it tempering the eggs so they’re cooked while you’re adding the water, or are the eggs more or less raw when you eat this dish? Just want to make sure I cook it right
Sarah — yes, the water is hot. I scoop it right from the pot of boiling pasta just before I drain the pasta. And I whisk it into the egg-lemon juice mixture slowly so as to not curdle it, though I’m not sure this is really necessary. While I can’t say for sure how cooked the eggs are, I would not describe them as raw. The heat of the pasta cooking liquid cooks them slightly, and then the heat of the hot pasta when you toss everything together cooks them further. Hope that helps! When my aunt makes this, she always throws everything back into the frying pan to ensure that those eggs are cooked, but I really don’t think this is necessary.
This pasta looks great! I’ve never tried a lemon-flavoured pasta, but it looks way healthier than the ordinary carbonara and I’ll try this weekend♡ Thanks for the recipe!
I know! I think people here like it too. :)@ Strawberry fcelkreface, It’s so easy. just add ketchup after mixing all together. It tastes kind of sweet I guess, so adding pepper would be good idea too. Hope you like it!
I love this recipe! Im sad my husband doesn’t like it as much but I make it anyway!! I was wondering…..I have never used leeks and I have just been using an onion. will it change the flavor if I use leeks? How do I cut a leek!!?
Leeks are SO yummy! They are sweet and delicious — if you love onions, you will love leeks. Ok, to cut leeks, you need to trim off the hairy stem and the dark green parts. Then, cut each lengthwise in half. Then cut thinly into halfmoons. Leeks are very dirty, so you’ll want to soak them in a bowl of cold water until the dirt falls to the bottom. After about 10 minutes, scoop out the leeks and place in a colander to drain. Kind of fussy, right? I have some pictures of the cut leeks over on Cup of Jo: https://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-best-french-omelet-youll-ever-have.html
This is my go to recipe anytime I make Pasta Carbonara! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I have made this for many guests and am ALWAYS asked for the recipe. Thanks again! *****
So happy to hear this, Jessica! This is one of my faves, too. We all love it. So happy to hear you have shared this with company. Thanks for writing in!