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0 from 12 votes

Pasta Carbonara with Bacon and Peas

Balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable—this recipe has it all.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • ½ lb spaghetti, cooked per instructions
  • 5-6 slices of bacon, I used pre-cooked so there is less grease
  • 1 tsp olive oil, if needed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • ½ cup of frozen peas, thawed
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook the pasta by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook per instructions. Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/3 cup of the starchy cooking water. 
  2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon slices in a large skillet until crispy, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove the bacon and place it on paper towels to drain. Chop into bits. Toss the garlic into the pan with the bacon grease.  Side Note: My pan only had a teaspoon of grease since my bacon was pre-cooked, so I added another teaspoon of olive oil to the pan.
  3. Sauté garlic for 45 seconds, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon grease/olive oil/garlic.  Side Note: The pasta must be hot when adding the egg and Parmesan mixture so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw egg in the sauce.
  5. Beat the egg and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, stirring quickly until the egg thickens but does not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen).
  7. Thin the sauce with some reserved pasta water until it reaches the desired consistency.
  8. Finish the dish by adding the peas and bacon bits, then season with freshly cracked black pepper. Season with sea salt if needed, add fresh parsley, and mix well.
  9. Place into a serving bowl and serve immediately. Enjoy.