Our favourite spaghetti carbonara recipe.

What's the secret behind this easy spaghetti carbonara recipe?

Beloved my many, our easy carbonara recipe is one of Australia’s most popular recipes, and we know exactly why it's become the stuff of weeknight legend. We do the thing your nonna told you not to: we add cream. And yet, although it breaks from the traditional Italian recipe, it’s all for a delicious reason. We promise.

Traditional carbonara recipes require a degree of technique (for example, adding ingredients at just the right temperature and time) and quality (read: expensive) ingredients, which just aren’t ideal for regular weeknights. That’s why we like to add thickened cream to our carbonara recipe with cream.

A cheaper supermarket ingredient that ensures a velvety, indulgent sauce that will rival a restaurant-made spaghetti carbonara, a splash of cream means dinner's ready in 12 minutes! This carbonara recipe is one of the quickest you’ll come across. Here's to making weeknights simpler (without compromising on flavour). Go on, break the rules. We won't tell.

Key flavourful ingredients in our spaghetti carbonara

• Pancetta: providing the perfect salty hit for your carbonara dish, pancetta acts as a shortcut to umami deliciousness. If you don't have pancetta, you can certainly use bacon. For a vegetarian version, you can sprinkle your pasta with 'bacon bits' instead, which are generally made from soy-based ingredients (just check the packet!) or use some rinsed capers for a salty addition.
• Eggs: Not silky carbonara sauce would be complete without eggs, which also bring added protein to your dish. Though this may not be a traditional carbonara, the eggs still play an important role.
• Thickened cream: our shortcut to getting this meal on the table in next-to-no-time, thickened cream bolsters the sauce and creates a luscious, rich sauce.
• Parmesan: sharp, tasty parmesan cheese brings extra cheesy goodness to the table. We suggest adding some to the creamy carbonara sauce, and reserving extra to sprinkle on your bowl of pasta at the end (alongside parsley, if you're using it). Vegetarians can also look for vegetarian-friendly parmesan in supermarkets.

How to make our easy spaghetti carbonara: get the full recipe below

• Step 1
  Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frypan over medium heat. Cook pancetta, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until beginning to crisp. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then set pan aside.

  

• Step 2
  Place eggs and extra egg yolk, cream and parmesan in a bowl. Season, then mix gently with a fork. Drain pasta, then return to pan. Quickly add egg and pancetta mixtures and parsley. Toss to combine - the heat from the pasta will cook the egg slightly and form a creamy sauce. Serve immediately with extra parmesan.

  

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