Spaghetti Carbonara

January 18, 2020
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Classic, simple, and delicious– Spaghetti Carbonara is a weeknight staple at my house! Plus, it comes together so easily with ingredients you likely have on hand.

Carbonara for the Family

Usually “spaghetti” means pasta with sauce at our house. Not any more! I can’t quit this recipe lately. This Spaghetti Carbonara can be made start to finish in under 15 minutes and looks real pretty on a dinner plate. I use my favorite chopped pancetta from Trader Joes, along with spaghetti, eggs, parmesan, and a little lemon zest to finish things off. You’ll have a restaurant style dish in no time!

Pantry Cooking

One of the quickest ways to make a big difference in your daily life in the kitchen is to set aside some time and brain power to organize and stock your pantry. An organized pantry makes it easier and more enjoyable to plan and cook weeknight meals.

All of these ingredients I keep on hand in my extended pantry, which makes it a weeknight staple. For all my tips + tricks on pantry organization and cooking from your pantry, check out this video and post!

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Spaghetti Carbonara

  • Author: Kelsey Nixon
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
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Description

One of our favorite “pantry pasta” dishes to make on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 ounces pancetta, diced
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3⁄4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
  • 1⁄4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
  • Zest and juice from 1 lemon, if desired

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti to al dente according to package directions.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the oil and pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is golden and crispy.
  3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
  4. When the spaghetti is done, drain it, reserving some of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the hot pancetta skillet. Toss to coat the pasta with the oil. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour over the egg mixture, tossing quickly so the eggs don’t scramble. Add some of the hot cooking water to thin it out and form a sauce. Toss in the parsley. Serve immediately topped with extra cheese, lemon zest and juice (if desired), and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes

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