Chicken and bacon pasta no cream

A super easy Italian Carbonara Pasta Recipe with only 4 ingredients – ready on the table in less than 30 minutes! Learn how to create this mouth-watering Italian dinner that costs less than $10 with plenty left over for lunch.

Why We Love This

This is a creamy and satisfying yet super EASY carbonara pasta, made the Italian way with eggs instead of cream.

It’s such a quick and filling meal to make using staple pantry items, a great one to add to your easy dinners collection! 

Packed with flavour yet light and fresh, it’s perfect for weeknight meals or entertaining alike.

Still prefer cream based pasta sauces? Try our creamy Italian sausage pasta or chicken pasta bake.

What is Carbonara? 

Carbonara from the Parma/Bologna region of Italy is very different to how it’s made in other parts of the world. The sauce uses eggs instead of cream, and there’s usually no onions, garlic, or mushrooms either. Yet the result is a creamy and tasty pasta sauce that will have you licking your plate clean and looking for seconds.

Some regional variations of the recipe use egg yolks only, while others use a ratio of whole eggs + an egg yolk per person. Alberto’s nonno’s recipe uses whole eggs to keep it simple, while the egg whites also help give the sauce it’s smooth and creamy texture.

Where We Learned This

This recipe comes to you all the way from Parma in Italy. Alberto launched into recreating his nonno’s incredible no cream carbonara pasta when we stayed with him on our journey through this beautiful country.

Out came the spaghetti, guanciale, eggs and cheese. A sprinkling of black pepper, a flick around the frying pan, and dinner was on the table before you could say molto bene.

What You’ll Need

You’re likely to have all the ingredients ready and waiting for you to whip up your very own batch of carbonara pasta at home.

• Pasta – For the most traditional carbonara, serve it with spaghetti or fettuccine. But it will also go well with any kind of pasta you have on hand. We also love it with tube pasta like penne or rigatoni.
• Eggs – We use whole eggs in our recipe. You can use egg yolks only for a richer flavour if you prefer, however you’ll need to double the amount.
• Cheese – Go with finely grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano cheese if possible, otherwise substitute with parmesan. 
• Bacon – Carbonara is usually made with locally produced small goods such as guanciale or pancetta, but when cooking at home, bacon is a super handy substitute. Whatever you use, cook until nice and crispy for the best flavour. 

How to make Carbonara without Cream:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and cook your pasta following the packet directions. Stop cooking just as it becomes al dente, because it will keep on cooking in the next few steps. Drain, reserving some pasta water for later.
2. Crack the eggs in a small bowl and add the grated cheese. Whisk until evenly blended, then set aside.
3. Fry up the bacon or pancetta pieces in a large frying pan over medium heat. No added oil required!

1. Transfer the drained pasta into the frying pan with the bacon/pancetta and toss through the bacon using a spoon and fork. Drizzle with olive oil and toss around once more.
2. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting or even off (important!), then pour in your egg and cheese mixture and quickly toss it through the pasta until evenly coated, so it doesn’t scramble.
3. Transfer into individual serving bowls and serve immediately. Optional: Garnish with a sprinkling of cracked black pepper, sea salt, and/or some extra grated parmesan.

Wandercook’s Tips

• Pasta – Cook until just al dente, ie slightly ‘firm to the bite’ and not too soft; usually 1-2 minutes less than on the pasta packet. This will stop the pasta from falling apart in the pan as you mix it through the carbonara sauce. If you still need help, check out this handy guide to cooking the perfect al dente pasta.
• Sauce – We’re aiming for a creamy, glossy sauce – not scrambled eggs. Once you’ve fried up the bacon and thrown the pasta in the pan, you want to pour in your egg + cheese mixture and cook just long enough for the eggs and cheese to melt. If the sauce is too thick at this point, you can stir in a small amount of pasta water to help thin it out. 
• Test the Heat – If you’re unsure about when to add the egg mixture into the pan, you can test it by adding a splash of pasta water. When you hear no more sizzling sounds, you’re ready to add the egg mixture.
• Tiny Clumps in the Sauce? This may just be the cheese starting to melt when you first add the egg mixture to the pasta. Keep tossing the sauce through the pasta. As long as you’ve reduced the heat, you should end up with glossy carbonara sauce without scrambling the eggs. 

FAQs

Which cheese is best for carbonara?

Parmigiano-reggiano, pecorino-romano or parmesan are the best varieties for this dish, because they’ll melt into the creamy sauce without becoming stringy. It’s best to avoid mozzarella or pizza cheese blends for this reason. Make sure the cheese is finely grated – this will help it blend in with the eggs rather than becoming clumpy.

How do I stop carbonara sauce from scrambling?

Low heat is heat essential so the sauce mixes through the pasta and gently cooks through without scrambling. If you’re still unsure, turn off the heat completely.

How can I stop the sauce from drying up before serving?

Try stirring through a little extra pasta water to thin it out. 

How can I avoid bland carbonara?

Since there are so few ingredients in the recipe, each one stands out. For the best flavour and overall texture in the dish, use the highest quality ingredients you can source. Season with plenty of black pepper to taste, and add an extra sprinkling of sea salt if you prefer. See our variations section for more ideas.

How long does it last?

Carbonara is best eaten immediately, but will last for 2-3 days in the fridge if kept in an airtight container. We don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

Variations

• Season to Taste – Depending on the type of bacon or small goods you end up using, it may already be salty enough. Otherwise, season with cracked black pepper and high quality Italian sea salt flakes.
• Herbs – Try finely chopping or blitzing fresh parsley in with the egg mixture before cooking as normal. 
• Make It Your Own – Add your choice of extra ingredients like sundried tomatoes, onion, garlic, mushrooms or spinach and fry along with the bacon.  
• Protein – Try it with chicken instead of bacon. If you do, you may need to season with extra salt. 
• For Something Different – Cook as normal then serve with a few slices of avocado and toasted pine nuts.
• Add Heat – Sprinkle with chilli flakes, cayenne pepper or shichimi togarashi. 
• Add Umami – Add a sprinkling of dashi stock powder into the egg mixture.

More Italian comfort food classics to try next:

★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!

A super easy Italian Carbonara Pasta Recipe with only 4 ingredients – ready on the table in less than 30 minutes! Learn how to create this mouth-watering Italian dinner that costs less than $10 with plenty left over for lunch.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 serves

Calories: 598kcal

Cost: $5

• ▢
• ▢

• ▢ 300 g spaghetti or substitute with your favourite pasta!
• ▢ 200 g bacon pieces or pancetta
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 30 g parmigiano-reggiano cheese (1/3 cup) sub with pecorino-romano or parmesan cheese, grated

• Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and cook your pasta following the packet directions. Stop cooking just as it becomes al dente, because it will keep on cooking in the next few steps. Drain, reserving some pasta water for later.

  300 g spaghetti

• Crack the eggs in a small bowl and add the grated cheese. Whisk until evenly blended, then set aside.

  3 eggs, 30 g parmigiano-reggiano cheese

• Fry up the bacon or pancetta pieces in a large frying pan over medium heat. No added oil required!

  200 g bacon pieces

• Transfer the drained pasta into the frying pan with the bacon/pancetta and toss through the bacon using a spoon and fork.

• Reduce the heat to the lowest setting or OFF (important!), then pour in your egg and cheese mixture and quickly toss it through the pasta until evenly coated, so it doesn’t scramble.

• Transfer into individual serving bowls and serve immediately. Optional: Garnish with a sprinkling of black pepper and sea salt, and/or some reserved grated cheese.

• Use Quality Ingredients – Since there are so few ingredients in the recipe, each one stands out. For the best flavour and overall texture in the dish, use the highest quality ingredients you can source. 
• Pasta – For the most traditional carbonara, serve it with spaghetti or fettuccine. But it will also go well with any kind of pasta you have on hand. We also love it with tube pasta like penne or rigatoni. Cook until just al dente, ie slightly ‘firm to the bite’ and not too soft. This will stop the pasta from falling apart in the pan as you mix it through the carbonara sauce. 
• Eggs – We use whole eggs in our recipe. You can use egg yolks only for a richer flavour if you prefer, however you’ll need to double the amount.
• Cheese – Go with finely grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano cheese if possible, otherwise substitute with parmesan.
• Bacon – Carbonara is usually made with locally produced small goods such as guanciale or pancetta, but when cooking at home bacon is a super handy substitute. Whatever you use, cook until nice and crispy for the best flavour.
• Sauce – We’re aiming for a creamy, glossy sauce – not scrambled eggs. Once you’ve fried up the bacon and thrown the pasta in the pan, you want to pour in your egg + cheese mixture and cook just long enough for the eggs and cheese to melt and become creamy and glossy. If the sauce is too thick at this point, you can stir in a small amount of pasta water to help thin it out. 
• Test the Heat – If you’re unsure about when to add the egg mixture into the pan, you can test it by adding a splash of pasta water. When you hear no more sizzling sounds, you’re ready to add the egg mixture.
• Tiny Clumps in the Sauce? This may just be the cheese starting to melt when you first add the egg mixture to the pasta. Keep tossing the sauce through the pasta. As long as you’ve turned off the heat, you should end up with glossy carbonara sauce without scrambling the eggs. 
• Storage – Carbonara is best eaten immediately, but will last for 2-3 days in the fridge if kept in an airtight container. We don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

The Creamiest No Cream Carbonara Pasta

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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