Fettuccine Carbonara

Made with eggs, bacon, pasta and parmesan, this 4-ingredient fettuccine carbonara is ready in less than half an hour.

5 from 20 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Pasta

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 653kcal

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add 1-2 teaspoon salt.
Cook the chopped bacon or pancetta in a frying pan over medium heat until crispy. Set aside.
Cook the fettuccine pasta in the pot of boiling water according to the packet instructions, until al dente.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Add the parmesan cheese and mix well.
When the pasta is cooked, use tongs to remove it from the pot of boiling water and straight into the frying pan with the pancetta (don't throw away the water!).
Put the frying pan over a medium heat and add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water.
Shake the pan for 10 seconds or until most of the water has evaporated.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the egg/cheese mixture.
Working quickly, stir the pasta until it has a smooth coating from the sauce.
Add in a little more of the pasta water if the egg mixture is too thick.
Season with sea salt (if needed), cracked pepper, extra parmesan, and serve immediately.

Avoid Scrambled Eggs – You don't want to add your eggs to the pasta until you've removed the pan from the heat. This will stop the eggs from overcooking and scrambling. You're going for a beautifully smooth sauce with crispy little bites of bacon!
Carbonara vs. Fettuccine – The difference between carbonara and fettuccine is simply the addition of pancetta, bacon or guanciale. Strictly fettuccine recipes generally include simple Alfredo sauce, parmesan and maybe an added protein.
Easy Additions – Personally, I'm a huge fan of simple pastas, but if you're looking to make an addition or two to this fettuccine carbonara recipe, you can also whip up a batch of homemade meatballs to pair with your pasta. Alternatively, you can add sun-dried tomatoes, onion, garlic, spinach and parsley for a light and fresh combination.
Storage & Freezing –This recipe is best eaten immediately, however, you can save your leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.