Romantic Pasta Carbonara Beef (Printable)

Silky egg sauce coats pasta with crisp beef bacon for a rich, romantic dish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz dried spaghetti or linguine

→ Sauce

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1.8 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 oz freshly grated Pecorino Romano or additional Parmesan
05 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
06 - 1/4 tsp sea salt

→ Beef Bacon

07 - 3.5 oz beef bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
08 - 1 tsp olive oil

→ To Serve

09 - Extra Parmesan cheese for garnish
10 - Freshly ground black pepper
11 - Chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef bacon strips and cook until crisp and golden, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together eggs, grated Parmesan, Pecorino, black pepper, and salt until well combined.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet with the beef bacon (heat off). Quickly pour in the egg-cheese mixture, tossing vigorously to coat the pasta. Add reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until the sauce is creamy and silky.
05 - Divide immediately between two warmed plates. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan, more black pepper, and parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The silky egg sauce clings to every strand of pasta like a warm embrace
  • Ready in under 30 minutes but tastes like it came from a tiny Italian restaurant
  • Beef bacon adds a subtle smokiness that regular pancetta cannot match
02 -
  • The skillet must be off the heat before adding eggs or they will scramble into bits instead of forming sauce
  • Pasta water is the secret ingredient that makes the sauce glossy rather than clumpy
  • Work quickly once the eggs hit the pasta, the residual heat does all the work
03 -
  • Whisk the sauce base right before adding it, so the cheese does not settle at the bottom
  • Practice the tossing motion without pasta a few times, confidence helps you move faster

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