Get this eggless yet deliciously rich and creamy, easy Carbonara recipe that is done in no time at all! Perfect for a quick dinner for people on the go!
I've learned to cook this easy Carbonara recipe after I finished college and moved away from home to work in the big city (Manila).
Living away from home for the first time (yes, we, in the Philippines, stay with our parents as long as we can ?) taught me a lot of things and made me realize that I really like to cook.
But I usually did not have the time nor the energy left after working the whole day to do some serious cooking, so I leaned on the quick and easy recipes to save me from eating out or having to survive on fast foods.
After all these years, it is still one of my favorite pasta dishes to prepare. It is very easy and requires really the most basic ingredients. The most important is the bacon which gives the sauce it savory-rich flavor.
I would suggest investing a bit more on bacon if you want to make a really good Carbonara. Once you find the brand that works for you, stick to it.
What I do usually is to look for bacon that has equal lean parts and fatty parts. If you are not able to one, then get two of each and mix.
Why is this important? You need the oil from frying the bacon for flavoring so a good part of fats is needed.
However, too many fats and the bacon shrinks to almost nothing once fried leaving too less meat for the pasta itself.
My sisters who now have husbands and even friends and former colleagues have asked me for this recipe, so I guess it is worth sharing.
What is in Carbonara Sauce?
Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish that is originally comprised of Pancetta or Guanciale ( kinds of Italian bacon), egg yolks, hard cheese, plenty of freshly ground black pepper and of course the pasta.
This recipe, however, does not use egg yolks but rather cream and milk as a substitute to make it creamy. I also use ordinary bacon or smoked bacon on some occasion.
Which cheese is best for Carbonara?
Pecorino Romano is the cheese that is normally used for traditional Carbonara. It is a hard, salty Italian cheese, made out of sheep's milk.
Parmesan cheese is also a popular choice and what I usually use since it is more easily accessible.
What pasta to use for Carbonara?
Spaghetti is the usual pasta of choice for Carbonara but fettuccine, linguine or even penne pasta can also be used.
Quick and Easy Carbonara
Ingredients
- 12 oz uncooked pasta - spaghetti, fettuccini or linguine
- 8.45 fluid ounces all-purpose cream or heavy whipping cream
- 8.45 fluid ounces milk (fresh or evaporated)
- ½ pound bacon - cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 can champignon mushrooms - sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 1 medium onion - chopped
- 2 teaspoon salt - adjust as needed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown bacon in cooking oil and then set aside both the bacon and oil.
- In a deep pan, sauté garlic and onion in butter until tender. Add the mushrooms and cook until a bit brown. Add milk and cream and let cook until thick stirring constantly. Add bacon with the oil. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Pour into cooked noodles of your choice and mix. You may add more parmesan cheese on top and freshly grated pepper before serving.
Angel-Love Patrick says
Love this use all the time!!!
Fio says
Its a delicious sauce. In South America is called "salsa carusso"
Clarii says
I've been following your vlog since I've tried your Hamonado recipe😊 Thank you for sharing this recipe! I've followed this recipe last night after work. It's really one of the easy-peasy recipes yet delicioso!💕 Perfect for someone who's busybee like me!
Khristine says
Hi Bebs! I love your recipes. I was wondering if I could make the sauce and then freeze it? I live alone so I don't think I would be able to finish everything and it's easier for me to just reheat the sauce rather than cooking it again. If I don't find a table cream here, would it taste the same with heavy whipping cream? Thanks!
Bebs says
Hi Khristine, whipping cream is what I used to use while we were in Germany, so it's all good. And yes, you can divide the sauce into portions and freeze, then reheat when you need it.
Dora says
Excellent Recipe👍it's easy to follow & best of all it's delicious. A delightful pasta meal for the whole family. I substitute the pancetta bacon with turkey bacon. Works well too. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Bebs says
oooohhh...I would love pancetta bacon too. Thanks for your lovely comment, Dora!
Analiza says
Thanks for the recipe. It was quick and so tasty!
Bebs says
You are so welcome, Analiza.
Lily says
College student here! Came home from a long day of work(holiday break) and ended up having everything in my kitchen that I needed so I tried it out. Was delicious and makes enough for leftovers. Will definitely be making this again!
Bebs says
Glad you like it, Lily.
C.Melas says
This recipe is amazing big on taste and perfect outcome, a crowd pleaser 5 out 5 👌🏻👍, thank you.
Bebs says
Happy to know you like it...
Mary says
Came across your website as I was looking for a carbonara recipe. Been over 2 decades & my son has been asking me to re-create my old recipe which I no longer recall. This is as close as what I used to make back in the Philippines. I am no longer a fan of meat but I can do the turkey bacon in this recipe for the sake of it. I’m sure this recipe is awesome so I saved it. Will definitely try next weekend. Appreciate you sharing. Thank you!
Bebs says
Hope you and your son liked it, Mary.
Jennifer says
Delicious! Looking for a recipe with what I had on hand, and this was great.
Trudi Williams says
Simple easy family recipes needed
Bebs says
Indeed Trudi. For people who like to have home-cook meals but does not have enough time...
Aurora says
I really appreciate you posting pics of this! I'm not a big fan of videos as I like to skim. lol I'm also a student, so I'm trying to cook fast and easy meals to save money. 😀
2pots2cook says
You have upgraded one of our favourites ! Thank you so much !