Pasta and noodles · Italian · 35 min
Garlicky Spaghetti Parmesan Carbonara
- 35 min
- 2–6 servings
- 693 kcal / serving
Creamy spaghetti folded with garlicky bacon and Parmesan, delivering a cozy texture and balanced flavor that comes together quickly for weeknights.
Free on iPhone · servings scaled, grocery list written for you.
Ingredients
- 4 slicesbacon
- 2eggs
- 2 clovesgarlic
- ¾ fl ozheavy whipping cream
- ½ small bunchItalian (flat-leaf) parsley
- 1 ½ ozParmesan cheese
- 5 ozspaghetti pasta
From the pantry: black pepper, salt
Cookware
chef's knife · colander · cutting board · garlic press (optional) · grater · large pot · measuring cups · mixing bowls · nonstick skillet · stirring spoon
Kitchen help: cups to grams · tablespoons to cups · oven temperatures · butter conversions · what each cooking tool is for · ingredient substitutes
More dinner ideas: easy dinners
Shopping list by aisle
Produce
- 2 clovesgarlic
- ½ small bunchItalian (flat-leaf) parsley
Meat & seafood
- 4 slicesbacon
Dairy, eggs & chilled
- 2eggs
- ¾ fl ozheavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ ozParmesan cheese
Pantry & dry goods
- 5 ozspaghetti pasta
4 aisles for this recipe. Plan a week in MealPot and it merges every dinner into one list in this order, scaled to your household.
Ingredients for 2, 4 and 6 servings
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings | 6 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| bacon | 4 slices | 8 slices | 12 slices |
| eggs | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| garlic | 2 cloves | 4 cloves | 6 cloves |
| heavy whipping cream | ¾ fl oz | 1 ½ fl oz | 2 ¼ fl oz |
| Italian (flat-leaf) parsley | ½ small bunch | 1 small bunch | 1 ½ small bunches |
| Parmesan cheese | 1 ½ oz | 3 oz | 4 ½ oz |
| spaghetti pasta | 5 oz | 10 oz | 15 oz |
Quantities in US units. Any other household size: MealPot scales the recipe and the grocery list for you.
Directions
- Boil a large pot of salted water and drop in the spaghetti, cooking until just tender, about 8–10 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, set a skillet over medium-high heat to preheat.
- Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook until crispy, 4–5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cream until smooth.
- Finely grate the Parmesan and stir it into the egg mixture; season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
- When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- Peel and mince the garlic (or press it) and set aside.
- Place the reserved bacon fat in the empty pot, return it to low heat, and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the pasta and bacon back to the pot, remove from heat, and pour in the egg mixture; stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- If the sauce seems too thick, gradually stir in the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until creamy.
- Wash and dry the parsley, strip the leaves from the stems, mince, and add most of it to the pasta (reserve a small amount for garnish).
- Divide the pasta between bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parsley for garnish.
Two tips
- Prep tip: crisp the bacon up front and store the cooked pieces for quick reheating later.
- Serving idea: swap in a pinch more pepper and a little extra Parmesan on top for a sharper finish.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 693 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 57 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 453 mg
Estimates from the recipe's published nutrition data; they change with the version you pick above.
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Ingredient quantities, timing and nutrition follow the original Mealime recipe ↗ (captured 2026-09-12). The photo is MealPot's AI-rendered illustration of the finished dish; the description, directions, aisle list and serving table are MealPot's.