Carbonara Recipe

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions). Reserve 240 ml (about 1 cup) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Prepare the cream-egg-Parmesan mixture

While the pasta cooks, whisk the double cream, whole eggs, egg yolk and freshly grated Parmesan in a bowl until smooth. Add one teaspoon of the coarse black pepper and set aside. This mixture will be used to create a creamy sauce; keeping it ready prevents scrambling when combined with hot pasta.

Cook the bacon

Cut the bacon into 1–2 cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, then add the bacon pieces. Fry until the bacon is crisp and golden, about 6–8 minutes. Spoon off and reserve excess fat if there's more than about 1 tablespoon.

Aromatics

Push the bacon to one side of the pan, reduce heat to low, add the crushed garlic cloves and sauté for 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Remove and discard the garlic pieces (optional) to avoid overpowering the sauce.

Bring pasta and bacon together

Add the drained hot pasta to the skillet with the bacon (remove from direct heat). Toss to coat the pasta in the bacon fat for 30 seconds. If the skillet is small, transfer pasta and bacon to a large bowl.

Emulsify with sauce

Working quickly off the heat, pour the cream-egg-Parmesan mixture over the hot pasta and toss vigorously with tongs or a fork. Add reserved pasta water, a little at a time (start with 60 ml / 1/4 cup), continuing to toss until the sauce thickens to a glossy, silky consistency and coats the pasta. Add more pasta water in 30–60 ml increments as needed (up to the reserved amount) to reach the desired creaminess. The residual heat will gently cook the eggs without scrambling them.

Season and serve

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed (remember the bacon and Parmesan are salty). Grind the remaining coarse black pepper over the pasta. Transfer to serving plates, top with extra grated Parmesan and chopped parsley if using. Serve immediately.