This pasta carbonara is rich, comforting, and deeply satisfying, built on a handful of simple ingredients that come together to create something far greater than the sum of their parts. It is the kind of dish that feels indulgent without being heavy, relying on good technique rather than complicated steps. When done well, carbonara is all about balance, silky sauce, savoury depth, and perfectly cooked pasta.
The base of this version starts with pancetta gently fried in butter and olive oil until golden and full of flavour. Lightly crushed garlic cloves are added to perfume the fat as everything cooks, giving a subtle background warmth without overpowering the dish. Leaving the garlic skins on keeps the flavour gentle and allows them to be easily removed before finishing the sauce. The result is a pan full of rich, savoury flavour ready to coat the pasta.
The sauce itself is made without cream, relying instead on eggs, extra yolks, and finely grated Parmesan cheese. When combined with the heat of the pasta and pancetta, the eggs cook gently to form a smooth, glossy sauce that clings to every piece of pasta. Using rigatoni works particularly well here, as the ridges and hollow centres capture the sauce beautifully, making each bite full and satisfying. A little pasta cooking water helps bring everything together, loosening the sauce to the perfect consistency.
Timing is key, but the process is simple and forgiving once you know what to look for. Mixing the eggs off the heat ensures the sauce stays silky rather than scrambled, while plenty of black pepper adds the classic carbonara bite. Finished with extra Parmesan and served straight away, this is a dish that is best enjoyed hot and fresh.
Comforting, quick, and packed with flavour, this pasta carbonara is a reliable favourite that never feels boring, and it is one of those recipes that becomes second nature the more often you make it.
Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients
- 200 g pancetta
- 3 cloves garlic
- 50 g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g pasta (we use rigatoni)
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 50 g parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pan of salted, boiling water add the pasta and cook until al dente (8-10 mins)
- Place the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once the butter is foaming add the gently crushed garlic cloves (its fine to leave the skins on) and the pancetta and fry until golden.
- While the pasta and pancetta are cooking, combine the 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks and grated Parmesan cheese in a bowl with a good grind on pepper
- Once the pasta and pancetta are cooked, remove the garlic from the frying pan. Using a slotted spoon transfer the pasta to the frying pan (off the heat). Don't worry if a little of the pasta water comes too.
- Pour the egg and cheese mix into the pasta and pancetta and mix thoroughly. The heat left in the pan will cook the egg mix. Add a tbsp or two of the pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and extra grated Parmesan. We sometime like to add some crushed chilli flakes for an extra pop of flavour!
