Best 15-Minute Creamy Carbonara (Printable)

Silky pasta with crispy pancetta and rich Parmesan, prepared in just 15 minutes for a quick Italian delight.

# 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 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
06 - Pinch of salt

→ Meats

07 - 2.5 oz diced pancetta or guanciale

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you'll be sitting down to eat in fifteen minutes.
  • The sauce is made from just eggs and cheese, so there's no need for cream unless you want extra richness.
  • Crispy pancetta adds a salty, smoky crunch that makes every bite satisfying.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, which means fewer trips to the store.
02 -
  • Always remove the skillet from the heat before adding the egg mixture, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs instead of creamy sauce.
  • The pasta water is not optional, it's the secret ingredient that makes the sauce silky instead of thick and clumpy.
  • Use the hottest pasta possible when mixing, because the residual heat is what gently cooks the eggs into a sauce.
03 -
  • Let your eggs sit at room temperature for ten minutes before whisking, it helps them blend more smoothly into the sauce.
  • Save more pasta water than you think you need, it's easier to have extra than to realize you need more and have none left.
  • Toast extra black pepper in the pan with the pancetta for a deeper, spicier flavor that really makes the dish sing.
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