STEP 1 - Crack the eggs into the small bowl (the rule here is one egg per person serving).
- Add a pinch of salt to each egg (if using standard American bacon however don't bother - the meat is usually salty enough), followed by a dash of pepper.
- Whisk using a fork until smooth, then grate in the parmesan and mix thoroughly again.
Tip: Maybe save a tablespoon of grated parmesan for serving.
STEP 2 - Cover half the base of your frying pan with oil and place on a medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the bacon and fry until softened and slightly brown (usually 5-7 mins). Then take this pan off the heat.
STEP 3 - Boil up a full deep pan of water (use a kettle for speed). Add a tablespoon of salt and cook the spaghetti as per its packet’s instructions.
- When ‘al dente’ (no longer white inside when cut), drain the spaghetti.
STEP 4 - Pop the bacon pan back on the heat and mix in the spaghetti, coating it in the oil.
Tip: If you don’t have a deep enough frying pan for this, use the pasta pan instead.
- Now take it all off the heat again, and pour over the egg/parmesan sauce. Mix thoroughly. (The point here is that we don’t want the egg to cook!)
That’s it – done!
To serve: Sprinkle over a little parmesan, and have some tasty bread on hand for mopping the dish (a little gross but quite essential!).
Enjoyed this spaghetti carbonara recipe?
- Then try this breakfast pasta. There’s no bacon involved and we fry the egg instead of whisking it raw, but it's equally simple, and equally delicious.
- Also, if you're a spaghetti lover, check out this easy spaghetti recipe featuring your choice of nut and posh porcini mushrooms.