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Bucatini Carbonara

This easy bucatini carbonara recipe is creamy, crave-worthy, and ready in under 30 minutes. The combination of crispy pancetta and the creamiest carbonara sauce makes for the ultimate comfort food meal!

Forkful of carbonara held over the grey bowl with the brown serving bowl behind

I love this bucatini carbonara meal. LOVE. It’s one of the few times where I will eat a long noodle instead of a pasta like penne or ziti. I’ve tried making it with a more meaty pasta but it just doesn’t taste the same to me. I need the long thick bucatini noodles so the cheese and egg mixture can wrap easily around the pasta strands.

If you are not familiar with bucatini, it is a thick, hollow, spaghetti-like pasta; sort of like a thin straw. I prefer it over spaghetti because I like the thick strands and find it more satisfying to eat.

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What is carbonara?

Carbonara pasta is a dish that originated in Rome. It is typically made with spaghetti, hard cheese like parmesan or reggiano, pancetta (or guanciale in Italy), eggs, and black pepper.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Olive oil – I use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.  I love the peppery taste and think it brings a lot of flavor to any dish.
  • Onion – I use Vidalia onions because I love their taste but you can use yellow onion or shallots.
  • Pancetta – I use thinly sliced pancetta here but have also used chunk pancetta in the past. I like both equally. You can also use chopped up bacon if you prefer.
  • Garlic – For the past few years, I’ve been using garlic paste more and more. I love being able to squeeze some paste in what I’m cooking without having to deal with chopping garlic. It’s quick and easy and truthfully, no one knows the difference. The only thing that may be remarkable is there aren’t noticeable chunks of garlic floating around. If you love chopping garlic, one teaspoon of garlic paste = One clove of garlic.
  • Eggs – I use free-range organic large whole eggs.
  • Pasta – I use bucatini but if you can’t find it, spaghetti is a good option.  I find angel hair pasta too fragile to keep its length and shape as you’re tossing it with the other ingredients.
  • Parmesan cheese – I like to grate my own. Once you taste freshly grated cheese, you’ll never go back to pre-grated cheese.  You can use parmigiano reggiano, pecorino-romano, or any other hard cheese.
  • Peas – I usually use fresh peas that I find at either Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.  But if you can’t find them, frozen peas will work fine.

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Helpful tips

  • When cooking your pasta, cook until just al dente. When draining the pasta, don’t run cold water over it as you need it to be hot when you add the egg and cheese mixture. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and melts the cheese.
  • You may also need some reserved pasta water so I like to scoop out 1/2 cup of the water before I drain the pasta. The reason you might need it is because if the carbonara is too thick for your liking, you can add some water a little at a time to thin it out.
  • Cook the onions until they are slightly browned before adding the pancetta. Since you are going to continue cooking them together long enough to crisp the pancetta, you don’t want your onions to be overcooked.
  • One of the tricks to making good pasta carbonara is timing. You have to make sure the onions, pancetta, and peas are ready at the same time as the pasta. That way, when you mix everything together, they cook the eggs and cheese properly.
  • When cooking fresh peas, use just enough water to almost cover the peas. Bring to a boil and promptly drain. If cooking frozen peas, also use just enough water to cover them, bring the water to a boil, add the peas and cook for 3 minutes.
A grey bowl with bucatini with peas and pancetta
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

How to make bucatini carbonara

Pre-step

Fill a stockpot or large pot with enough water to boil one pound of pasta. Add salt and bring the water to a boil.

Step one

While the water is heating, put a sauté pan or large skillet on medium and add oil once the pan reaches full heat.

Chop an onion in small chunks and chop the pancetta. (A)

Step two

Add the onion to the sauté pan and sauté for 7 minutes.

Step three

Add pancetta and sauté for another 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute

Step four

Meanwhile, cook the peas. See helpful tips.

Step five

Gather eggs and parmesan cheese. (B)

On the left - Pancetta on a plate with chopped onion on a wooden board. On the right - eggs in a green bowl, cheese in a blue bowl and angle hair pasta on the table

Step six

Add eggs and cheese into mixing bowl. (C)

Step seven

Whisk the ingredients together. (D)

On the left - a glass bowl with eggs and parmesan cheese in it and on the right - the ingredients whisked together

Step eight

By now the onions and pancetta should be done.

Onion, garlic and pancetta sautéed in a green cast iron pan

Step nine

The pasta should be done at this point. Scoop out 1/2 cup of pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add egg and cheese mixture and toss and lift the hot pasta to coat it with the carbonara sauce for at least a minute to cook the eggs.

Step ten

Add the onion mixture, and peas. Stir and mix everything thoroughly but gently so you don’t break the pasta.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Big brown bowl filled with the carbonara with two grey bowls behind

Doesn’t that look delicious?

Time to plate this bucatini carbonara.

Two bowls in front of a brown serving bowl of pasta

Let’s have a closer look at this delicious dish.

grey bowl filled with the carbonara with the brown bowl in back

And another view.

Overhead view of the grey and brown bowl filled with the pasta dish

I hope you enjoyed this bucatini carbonara recipe. Christopher and I really enjoy not only eating the carbonara fresh, but as leftovers as well.

Please feel free to leave me a comment, what’s your favorite pasta dish?

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Pasta carbonara in a grey bowl with a fork and another bowl in the background - square

Bucatini Carbonara

This easy bucatini carbonara recipe is creamy, crave-worthy, and ready in under 30 minutes. The combination of crispy pancetta and the creamiest carbonara sauce makes for the ultimate comfort food meal!
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: bucatini carbonara, carbonara, carbonara recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 545kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion (medium, chopped)
  • 6 ounces pancetta (chopped whether you buy thin sliced or chunked)
  • 3 teaspoons garlic paste (or 3 cloves garlic, minced)
  • 1 cup peas (I use fresh, but you can also use frozen)(cooked)
  • 1 pound bucatini pasta
  • Salt for pasta water
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Time everything to be finished cooking by the time the pasta is done

  • Fill medium sized stockpot 1/2 way with water, salt it and set to boil. Once the water has come to a boil, add pasta and cook for 11 minutes or until done.
    1 pound bucatini pasta, Salt for pasta water
  • Cook one cup of frozen peas, set aside.
    1 cup peas
  • Heat a sauté pan on medium heat and add olive oil and onion. Sauté for 7 minutes.
    3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion
  • Add pancetta and sauté for 7 minutes before adding garlic and cook for an additional minute.
    6 ounces pancetta, 3 teaspoons garlic paste
  • As the pasta is cooking, crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add parmesan. Whisk until combined.
    3 eggs, 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Drain cooked pasta – DO NOT run cold water over it, place in large mixing bowl and add the egg mixture and immediately mix the egg with the pasta.
  • Add the pancetta/onion mixture and the peas and mix it with the pasta.
  • Place in a serving bowl.
  • Serve
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

Helpful tips
  • When cooking your pasta, cook until just al dente. When draining the pasta, don’t run cold water over it as you need it to be hot when you add the egg and cheese mixture. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and melts the cheese.
  • You may also need some reserved pasta water so I like to scoop out 1/2 cup of the water before I drain the pasta. The reason you might need it is because if the carbonara is too thick for your liking, you can add some water a little at a time to thin it out.
  • Cook the onions until they are slightly browned before adding the pancetta. Since you are going to continue cooking them together long enough to crisp the pancetta, you don’t want your onions to be overcooked.
  • One of the tricks to making good pasta carbonara is timing. You have to make sure the onions, pancetta, and peas are ready at the same time as the pasta. That way, when you mix everything together, they cook the eggs and cheese properly.
  • When cooking fresh peas, use just enough water to almost cover the peas. Bring to a boil and promptly drain. If cooking frozen peas, also use just enough water to cover them, bring the water to a boil, add the peas and cook for 3 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 342mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 11.1mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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Originally published in July of 2016.

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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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54 Comments

  1. Oh my, you never fail to crack me up! Well, that and make me drool. The drool part is a given. This pasta looks to die for!

  2. I have never made carbonara before – your version looks SO good! I’ll have to try it!

  3. I love how this pasta comes with artichokes, not sure if this is available in the UK but I’m a huge fan of artichokes and this sounds up my street!

    1. I love this pasta, it’s made with artichoke flour and some Semolina flour. But the taste of the artichoke is nice and the angel hair is so soft and delicious!! Thanks for commenting Diana!

    1. Deepika,

      It is super easy. That’s what I love about the dish, easy but looks ‘hard’ and it tastes really good!

  4. That pasta sounds amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen it here… I’ll keep looking for it!

    1. Hi Sarah,

      You can use any pasta, I just love using the artichoke pasta for that dish for some reason. I’ve made it with penne as well and it’s just as good.

  5. After having a long tiring day, this bucatini carbonara is perfect to have! Really looks super delicious that it made me want to have it now!

  6. I love all the step by step tips for this dish and like you say, timing is key in getting this dish right! Thanks for sharing!

  7. This is one of my favorites for sure! It looks so delicious and dead easy to make too, perfect for a weeknight meal

  8. I share your love for bucatini, which I think is seriously underused! And carbonara, what can possibly go wrong when you combine both? This is a fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing.

  9. I’m the same way…very rarely do I like long pasta but I always make an exception when it comes to carbonara! This looks and sounds fantastic! Such a comforting dish for the fall evenings.

  10. I loooove pasta carbonara! It’s so easy to make and perfect for a comfort meal treat! I think I’ll make it tonight for dinner!)

  11. Anything pasta is our all time favorite so this carbonara will definitely become our favorite. I have put this recipe down in my meal plan for the week.

  12. I haven’t come across a pasta that I don’t like! This is simple but so delicious! Love all the information you have shared here

  13. Nothing beats a good pasta recipe, especially a classic like a carbonara. I hadn’t made it in a while, but you inspired me. So delicious!! Thanks!

  14. Hi,
    Sounds and looks amazing
    QQ about “Scoop out 1/2 cup of pasta water and set it aside.”
    what to do with this water?
    thank you

    1. Hi Mario, You’ll only need the 1/2 cup of pasta water if the carbonara is too thick for your taste. I almost never use it. But if you do, just dribble a little at a time to thin it out. I hope this helps.

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