This One Pot Spaghetti Carbonara is so rich and creamy, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with plain old pasta. Packed with bacon and peas, this dish is an easy twist on the classic Italian comfort food, and the best part? It’s ready to dazzle your taste buds in under 30 minutes and all you need is just a handful of ingredients. You’ll have dinner stealing the spotlight in nearly no time! Serve it solo or with your favorite culinary accomplices on the side.

one pot spaghetti carbonara in a white pot topped with parmesan cheese

Why We Love This One Pot Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Here at Food Dolls, rejecting a tempting one-pot pasta dish is like trying to resist a sale on shoes – practically impossible! One-pot pastas are weekly staples in our homes — they’re game changers when it comes to getting dinner on the table. In fact, we love them so much that we even created a roundup of our top 5 options! However, we might need to revise it and add this recipe to the list. Creamy and comforting, this dish is basically the culinary equivalent of a cozy hug. It’s also: 

  • Cooked in one pot for easy cleanup
  • Ready in less than 30 minutes
  • Loaded with a good balance of protein, fats, and carbs for a filling meal
  • Great for feeding a crowd
  • Freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep

What Is Carbonara? 

If you’re unfamiliar, carbonara is a popular Italian pasta dish that originated in Rome and features a creamy sauce that includes cured pork, garlic, cheese, and eggs. The sauce is typically cooked separately and then tossed with spaghetti noodles to create the classic dish. 

What’s the Difference Between Carbonara and Spaghetti

Although often confused, carbonara and spaghetti are not the same things. You see, carbonara is a type of sauce that is most commonly paired with cooked spaghetti noodles to create spaghetti alla carbonara, also known as spaghetti carbonara. 

Meanwhile, spaghetti is a type of long, thin pasta noodle used to form the base of many dishes like spaghetti arrabbiata and one pot parmesan pasta

Is Carbonara the Same as Alfredo? 

If helpful, you can think of carbonara as a type of elevated alfredo. However, the two are not the same. You see, alfredo is a fairly basic sauce that consists of cream, Parmesan, and parsley. 

Featuring the same ingredients, carbonara is a more complex sauce and also contains pork such as pancetta or bacon, garlic, egg yolks, and more. Classic Italian carbonara does not contain cream, but some other versions, like this one, do. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Just a handful of ingredients will create the creamiest, most mouthwatering pasta you’ll ever taste. Here’s what you’ll need: 

  • Unsalted Butter – This is used to coat the bottom of the pot, preventing the rest of the ingredients from sticking while also allowing for easy sautéeing and a richer taste. 
  • Bacon – We used turkey bacon, but regular bacon can be used, too. 
  • Seasonings – Garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper, create the most incredible taste. 
  • Spaghetti – Make sure you use uncooked spaghetti noodles. If needed, gluten-free spaghetti works just as well! 
  • Broth – Using low-sodium chicken broth is our secret to creating the absolute best spaghetti carbonara. As the noodles cook, they absorb the broth for an even better taste. 
  • Egg Yolks – Used to form the carbonara sauce, egg yolks add rich flavor and help bind the fat from the bacon and cream to the noodles. 
  • Heavy Cream – The base of the sauce, heavy cream, like egg yolks, help hold everything together so every bite of spaghetti is loaded with creamy carbonara sauce. 
  • Peas – These add a nice pop of color, a bit of extra crunch, and fiber to help keep you full! 
  • Parmesan Cheese – For the best carbonara, we recommend using freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

How to Make Carbonara Spaghetti

A common belief about spaghetti carbonara recipes is that they’re hard to make. However, we managed to replicate all the traditional flavor with the ease of a one-pot recipe. You won’t believe how easy it is to make! Take a look at an overview below, and scroll down to the recipe card below for the full details. 

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan or Dutch oven. 
  2. Cook the bacon until crispy, and set it aside. 
  3. Add the garlic and seasonings, and cook until soft and translucent. 
  4. Place the spaghetti and broth in the pot. Then, cover, and cook to al dente
  5. While the pasta cooks, whisk the egg yolks and cream
  6. Once the spaghetti has cooked, pour the mixture into the pot
  7. Add bacon, peas, and Parmesan
  8. Mix to combine, and remove from the heat to allow the carbonara sauce to thicken. 
  9. Serve hot topped with extra Parmesan cheese! 

Storage & Reheating Options

If you’re looking for an easy make-ahead pasta recipe, you’re in luck! This spaghetti carbonara can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months! If you plan on freezing your carbonara, we recommend keeping the spaghetti separate from the sauce. This allows for easier reheating and prevents your spaghetti from overcooking. 

When you’re ready to eat, just reheat thawed carbonara in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. If the sauce looks a bit dry, freshen it up with a splash of broth, and mix to combine. 

Serving Suggestions

This spaghetti carbonara can hold its own and leave you feeling fully satisfied. But you can totally take it up a notch by pairing it with one of these fabulous sides:

a pot of spaghetti carbonara with tongs lifting out a serving

More One Pot Pasta Recipes

If you’re hooked on one-pot wonders like we are, check out more of our simple favorites that let flavor take center stage. Because why complicate things when you can embrace the magic of one-pot perfection?  

  • Loaded with veggies and bursting with cheesy flavor, this One Pot Veggie Pasta is so good the kids won’t catch onto the fact that it’s healthy! 
  • Nourishing, refreshing, and every bit as flavorful as it is vibrant, this One Pot Greek Couscous is a family-favorite dish. 
  • This One Pot Cajun Pasta is a high-protein powerhouse, loaded with veggies, and the best part? It’s quicker to make than deciding what to watch on streaming.
  • Everything you love about lasagna with half the work, this One Pot Lasagna is ready in just 15 minutes! 

overhead image of spaghetti carbonara in a white pot

One Pot Spaghetti Carbonara

4.13 from 24 votes
Author: Food Dolls
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 13 minutes
Total: 28 minutes
The easiest spaghetti carbonara you'll ever make, this one pot recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes for a comfort food dinner the whole family will love! Just one bite, and you'll be hooked.

Ingredients  

  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 strips turkey bacon
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt more or less to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 16 ounces uncooked pot sized spaghetti
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 room temperature egg yolks
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • parmesan cheese shavings for garnish

Instructions 

  • Melt butter in a deep pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Then, add chopped turkey bacon, and cook until the edges of the bacon turn golden brown. Remove the turkey bacon from the pot, and set aside.
    1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, 4 strips turkey bacon
  • Add garlic to the pot followed by salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano.
    5 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • Allow the garlic to cook until soft and slightly translucent. Add the spaghetti and broth. Cover and cook for 9-11 minutes or until the spaghetti reaches al dente (or the preferred texture).
    16 ounces uncooked pot sized spaghetti, 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • While the pasta cooks, whisk 2 egg yolks into heavy cream. Once the pasta has cooked, pour the heavy cream and egg yolk mixture into the pot. Stir until smooth and creamy. Note: Make sure to thoroughly combine the egg yolks with the heavy cream to prevent the yolks from curddlin when added to the pot.
    2 room temperature egg yolks, 1 cup heavy cream
  • Add the turkey bacon back into the pot along with the Parmesan and peas. Mix to combine, and remove from the heat.
    1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 cup frozen green peas
  • The sauce will thicken after a few minutes. Serve hot with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan, if desird.
    parmesan cheese shavings for garnish

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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 368mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 798IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe?Please leave a comment!

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Meet Alia & Radwa

Welcome to Food Dolls! Weโ€™re so glad you found us. We are Alia and Radwa, sisters who want to share simple and easy recipes with you. We hope you find recipes here that you enjoy making as much as we do! Learn more about us!

4.13 from 24 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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41 Comments

  1. Clearly thereโ€™s a lot of controversy whether this is carbonara or not, but I donโ€™t care becuase no matter what you call it, itโ€™s freaking delicious! This has become a weekly go to for dinners because itโ€™s so delicious and easy! We use regular bacon instead of turkey because thatโ€™s what we have on hand, and we use extra because, BACON..

  2. 5 stars
    Yessss!
    Finally tried one of your awesome looking recipes and Iโ€™m so happy. Delishโฃ๏ธ
    Thank you so much.

  3. 5 stars
    Just tried this recipe substituted the turkey for standard bacon. I have to say it was absolutely fantastic. Looking forward to try another recipe soon.
    Second on I have tried both a success

      1. 2 stars
        It’s not spaghetti carbonara, it’s pasta with cream sauce, in real carbonara you don’t use cream at all, sauce is made out of eggs and cheese.

    1. Definitely omit the eggs. Only offering a tip . As a severe allergy sufferer, I just eggs substitute. Without any reaction The recipe came out well.