Born and raised in Italy, Robie loves good, healthy food (even better if it's easy to cook). She cooks every day for her family and friends.

This Original Italian Recipe Has Been in My Family for Generations

This is a simple and delicious dish, ready in only 15 minutes. If you love eggs and bacon, you'll like this recipe.

The typical carbonara is typically made with spaghetti, but you can make it with many other kinds of pasta; some ideas are linguine, rotini, bow ties, or penne.

Short noodles, like penne, are much easier for kids (and adults) to grab with the fork, and much less messy to eat than longer noodles, like spaghetti.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne
• 4 eggs, whole
• 8 slices of smoked bacon, diced
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 tbsp heavy cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring 12 cups (3 liters) of water to a boil, then add 1 tbsp of salt. Cook the penne in the boiling water, according to cooking time on the package.
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper. For a creamier sauce, add the heavy cream (optional).
3. Dice the bacon. Cook the bacon in a pan with 4 tablespoons of water on medium heat, for about 10 minutes, or until it gets a golden color.
4. When the pasta is cooked, drain it using a colander, and immediately pour the drained pasta back in the same hot pot it came from. (Tip: To keep the sauce creamier, keep bout 1/3 of a cup the pasta's cooking water.)
5. Keep the pot on the medium heat stove for 1-2 minutes. While stirring, add the bacon with all its cooking juices, and add the egg mix. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes, this will allow the creamy egg sauce to cook.
6. Serve hot. You may add some grated Parmesan cheese on top of each plate. Enjoy!

Photo Guide

Adding Soluble Fiber to the Pasta Sauce

Penne carbonara is a very nutritious dish, a great go-to recipe for those occasions when you haven't much time to cook, but are very hungry and in the mood for a satisfying dish.

This is the true original recipe from Italy, and, as per tradition, it has no veggies in the ingredients.

Therefore the only thing missing in this dish to become a well balanced, complete meal is fiber. Since I am a big fan of veggies and of complete meals, I often add soluble fiber to the seasoning mix, while I'm beating the eggs. This way I make sure that on top of all the vitamins, minerals, calcium, carbs, and fat that this dish provides, there are also the ever-useful fibers.

Original Italian Carbonara Recipe

The carbonara recipe presented here is the one that my grandma Antonia used to make for me when I was a teenager.

Grandma lived with us, and on summer Sundays I would usually sleep until noon or even 1 p.m. I remember her smile when she came to wake me up, sit at the feet of my bed, and ask if I wanted carbonara for lunch. It was just the two of us during summer.

So I had no breakfast on Sundays, I was going straight from sleeping status to sharing a yummy carbonara with Grandma.

© 2012 Robie Benve

Comments

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on August 13, 2020:

Ciao Adrienne! I know, in Italy we used the yummy pancetta or guanciale, here in the US I get hickory smoked bacon and it's delicious anyway. Can't go wrong with eggs and bacon, right? :)

Adrienne Farricelli on August 11, 2020:

I love carbonara! Anything with pancetta really. Thanks for sharing your family recipe. Ciao!

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on August 11, 2020:

My Nonna made carbonara often, especially on the weekends when it was just the two of us. Fond memories come with this dish. :) Thanks Peggy for your comment.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on August 10, 2020:

Pasta carbonara is such a yummy dish. Thanks for sharing your memories of happy times with your grandma, and for her recipe.

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on March 01, 2020:

Hi Travel Chef, the way I cook it, the egg is never runny, it tends to lump up, thanks to the heat in the pot and the Parmesan cheese. Maybe because of that, I never had anybody complain about the taste of egg, unless they were being nice, you never know, lol.

Travel Chef from Manila on February 26, 2020:

I love authentic style carbonara plus lots of parmesan and bacon! Not all people appreciate the taste of beaten eggs in carbonara though.

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on November 16, 2013:

Our whole family loves this carbonara, I hope you enjoy it too! :)

Chantele and Julie from Wales on November 14, 2013:

Cabonara is the best!! This recipe sounds great!

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on April 09, 2013:

Buon Appetito! :)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you tried it and loved it!

Faith A Mullen on April 05, 2013:

This looks amazing! And I happen to have some bacon in the fridge... Might need to make this tomorrow. Voted up :)

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on January 01, 2013:

Hi Chefmancave, Spinach or peppers, mmmhh, sounds very interesting, especially the spinach - knowing my family. Thanks a lot for the suggestion!

Robert Loescher from Michigan on December 28, 2012:

Robie...I agree. A touch of veggies is perfect for this dish. I doesn't have to be overwhelmingly but just some spinach would be fabulous. I will try this with julienne cut green peppers. I am thinking the color of the green peppers will make this dish visually delightful while the crunchiness of the peppers would make it a culinary adventure.

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on November 05, 2012:

Hi Heather, great to hear that you also eat this often and love it, it's my favorite quick meal to cook and eat, and always makes my kids happy. :)

I have to try with the tri-color rotini, sounds yummy. Thanks!

Heather from Arizona on November 02, 2012:

My husband and I eat this dish about once a week! We just have it with the pasta, egg, and parmesan cheese. I got addicted to this dish back in college and now ten years later I will downright crave it late at night. We make this whenever we have left over pasta but I prefer it with the penne since the little bits of scrambled egg can get trapped inside and make for yummy bites. I'm so happy to see someone else also loves this dish. Oh and I also love this dish when we use tri-color rotini since it adds another dimension of flavor from the veggie-noodles. Voted up of course! :)

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on October 17, 2012:

Hi Crystal, thanks a lot, hope you try it - but I warn you, you may get hooked like me. I love this dish! :)

Crystal Tatum from Georgia on October 15, 2012:

Oh my I think I want to drown in this! Yummy. Voted up!

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on June 08, 2012:

That's wonderful to hear Angie! My kids love it too, and the best part is that it's a very nutritious dish, and keeps them full for a while.

Thanks for leaving the comment! :)

Angie on March 19, 2012:

I tried this recipe today and my family loved it, children asked for seconds and thirds! it's a keeper!

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on January 18, 2012:

VengefulArt, you are right, breakfast pasta could be its middle name. :) I never tried with turkey bacon, but I'm pretty sure it would be delicious as well.

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on January 11, 2012:

Arlene, no worries! Hope you enjoy it when nobody is watching or just the same in front of a crowd. Buon appetito! :)

VengefulArt from Las Vegas on January 11, 2012:

This sounds like breakfast pasta! i love it! Do you think it wiuld work the same with turkey bacon?

Arlene V. Poma on January 06, 2012:

Auugggggghhhhhhhh! You're killing me with those calories, Robie, but I will give it a try when no one's watching me eat over the stove.

Robie Benve (author) from Ohio on January 06, 2012:

Arlene, I'm sure you'll love it! Though it's not the optimal light-snack to eat after midnight! ;) Since you are at it, you may even add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream and make it even more delicious! Or, to stick with things we all have in the kitchen, 2 tbsp of milk can be a good alternative.

Thanks for the great feedback! Ciao

Arlene V. Poma on January 05, 2012:

Oh, YUM. Something so easy and delicious with ingredients that are already in my kitchen. I can see myself making this dish when I'm all alone around midnight. This is my time--when everyone is asleep. Thank you for this Hub! Voted up and everything else. Bookmarked!