Best 15-Minute Creamy Carbonara (Printable)

Quick Italian pasta with a silky sauce, crispy pancetta, and rich Parmesan cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz spaghetti or linguine

→ Sauce

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 3½ tbsp heavy cream (optional)
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
06 - Small pinch of salt

→ Meats

07 - 2.5 oz diced pancetta or guanciale

→ Garnish

08 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
09 - Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti or linguine until al dente following package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced pancetta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove from heat.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream (if using), salt, and freshly ground black pepper until smooth.
04 - Add the hot, drained pasta to the skillet with pancetta and toss to combine evenly.
05 - Remove the skillet from heat. Immediately pour the egg-Parmesan mixture over the pasta, tossing vigorously to coat thoroughly. Gradually add reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce is creamy and glossy.
06 - Plate the pasta immediately. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you only spent fifteen.
  • The sauce clings to every strand without a single lump or scramble.
  • You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your fridge.
  • It feels fancy enough for guests but easy enough for a solo weeknight.
02 -
  • Always pull the skillet off the heat before adding the eggs or you'll end up with cheesy scrambled eggs instead of silky carbonara.
  • The pasta water is what makes the sauce come together, so don't skip saving it even if it seems like an extra step.
  • If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it's glossy and loose enough to coat a spoon.
03 -
  • Let your eggs sit out for ten minutes before whisking so they're closer to room temperature and less likely to seize.
  • If you can find guanciale instead of pancetta, use it because the fat has a richer, almost sweet flavor that makes the sauce incredible.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet for a full thirty seconds before adding the eggs so it cools just enough to avoid scrambling.
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