Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta

Fettuccine Carbonara is the type of pasta dish I used to always order at restaurants. It checks all the boxes for me: salty, creamy, savoury, and most importantly, full of carbs! I always assumed that it was difficult to make this beautiful dish because it is so luxurious. In fact, it’s simple and incredibly quick. For our family, it’s a quick weeknight meal. I always have the ingredients on hand, and it comes together in 15 minutes, which is ideal after a long day of work while everyone is hungrily waiting for dinner.

Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta is a beautiful dish. When done right, carbonara is both creamy and light at the same time. The sharp Parmesan and creamy egg cling to the fettuccine and create a beautiful silky sauce when combined with the reserved pasta water, while the garlic and crispy pancetta adds texture to each bite. I promise you if you make this recipe, it will soon become a regular meal in your home.

TOTAL TIME

• Preparation Time – 2 minutes
• Cooking Time – 13 minutes
• Total Time – 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR FETTUCCINE CARBONARA WITH PANCETTA

All the ingredients for this carbonara are easy to source from any local grocer.

• 1 box Fettuccine (~500g) , or 1/2 of my homemade pasta dough prepared
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 150 grams Pancetta
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 large Egg yolk
• 1 cup Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Pasta water, reserved

WHAT TYPE OF PASTA SHOULD I USE?

This recipe calls for fettuccine, but you can use whatever pasta you’d like. I personally find that a long pasta goes best with Carbonara sauce. There’s something about twirling long pasta covered in silky sauce that’s just so satisfying. I’d recommend spaghetti, bucatini, or linguine as an alternative.

IS CARBONARA THE SAME AS ALFREDO SAUCE?

Although the two may appear similar, they are definitely not. Alfredo sauce uses butter and cheese as it’s base. Many recipes also include cream. Unlike Alfredo sauce, all the creaminess in Carbonara comes from beautiful fresh eggs. As a result, Carbonara tastes lighter, and is arguably healthier for you.

DOES CARBONARA SAUCE HAVE CREAM IN IT?

No authentic Carbonara sauce includes cream. All the silky creaminess in this sumptuous sauce comes from the fresh eggs, finely grated parmesan, and pasta water.

WHAT IS PANCETTA?

Pancetta is similar to bacon with one important difference: while bacon is smoked and purchased raw, pancetta is salt cured and dried, which means it is safe to eat without being cooked. Pancetta is a beautiful product that originates in Italy, but is very easy to find in most grocery stores. You can buy it in larger chunks or pre diced in most deli departments. I like to save myself some time and purchase it pre diced.

IS IT SAFE TO USE RAW EGGS?

Yes. Although the eggs in this recipe are not cooked in a standard fashion, the heat from the freshly cooked pasta cooks them in the pan. This is why you want to ensure that the egg mixture is ready to add the minute the pasta comes off the heat. If you are very concerned, you can always purchase raw eggs that have been pasteurized.

SHOULD I RINSE THE PASTA AFTER COOKING?

Never rinse your pasta after cooking! After draining the pasta, you will see that it starts to stick together. An understandable reflex is to rinse the pasta to separate the pieces before mixing in your sauce. However, the starch that causes the pasta to stick together is the same substance that helps your sauce cling to your pasta. If you rinse the pasta it will not stick together, but the sauce will not cling to it either, resulting in a more soupy consistency.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

CAN I USE BACON INSTEAD OF PANCETTA?

If you wish, you could substitute bacon for pancetta but the taste will be different. Because pancetta is salt cured and dried, it has a more complex flavour than American style bacon. It’s this complexity that contrasts beautifully with the silky sauce.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF OIL?

You can substitute any oil with a high smoke point in this recipe. I like using olive oil because it adds a bit of extra flavour to the dish.

I FORGOT TO RESERVE THE PASTA WATER! IS THERE A SUBSTITUTION?

The addition of pasta water is an important step in making a beautiful carbonara sauce. The pasta water adds additional salt and flavour to the dish, while the starch aids the sauce in clinging to the pasta. You can certainly substitute a bit of water if you forget to reserve pasta water, however the result will not be quite as silky and sumptuous.

MY KIDS LOVE MACARONI, CAN I MAKE MACARONI CARBONARA?

You can certainly substitute any type of pasta you wish in this dish. Macaroni, or cornetti as they are traditionally called, are little elbow shaped pastas that kids (mine included) seem to love. A purist will tell you that certain shapes of pasta lend themselves better to different types of sauce: a hearty sauce works better with a sturdy pasta like rigatoni, while a delicate light sauce is beautiful with fine pasta like capellini. While I respect the tradition behind this, I’m a believer in making a dish in a way that works for you: if your family would prefer this Fettuccine Carbonara made as macaroni carbonara instead, then by all means do that!

EQUIPMENT FOR FETTUCCINE CARBONARA WITH PANCETTA

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make Carbonara:

• Braising Pan – My most used pan by far is my Le Creuset Braising Pan. It is made of heavy cast iron and coated in ceramic as all Le Creuset cast iron pans are. It’s large and deep which makes it perfect for everything from frying to making sauces. I can’t recommend it enough.

• Tongs

• Microplane or fine cheese grater

• Wooden Spoon

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta is as delicious as it is simple. You can easily make it in fifteen minutes, making it the perfect quick meal. Although it’s quite easy to prepare, there are a few tips to remember.

1. Make sure that egg and Parmesan mixture is ready to pour as soon as the pasta and pancetta are finished.
2. Mix the egg into the pasta quickly off the heat to ensure it doesn’t scramble.
3. Always reserve some pasta water. This beautiful starchy water is what turns your carbonara into a silky luscious sauce.

MAKE AHEAD STORAGE

This Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta cannot be made in advance.

Although you can refrigerate the leftover pasta and reheat it, it will have a slightly different texture as the sauce will absorb into the pasta. I recommend eating this fresh if at all possible.

FINISHED DISH

Enjoy this Fettuccine Carbonara Pasta with Pancetta.

OTHER PASTA DISHES

Easy Parmesan Meatballs with Spaghetti

Making Pasta from Scratch

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Penne Alla Vodka with Pancetta

Delicious Breaded Chicken with Pasta

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment and rating below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cooking.with.carbs.

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