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Garlicky Spaghetti Parmesan Carbonara, plated

Mealime recipe · lives on in MealPot

Garlicky Spaghetti Parmesan Carbonara

  • 35 min
  • 2–6 servings
  • 693 kcal / serving

Creamy spaghetti folded with garlicky bacon and Parmesan, delivering a cozy texture and balanced flavor that comes together quickly for weeknights.

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Italian · Pasta & Pizza

Ingredients

  • 4 slicesbacon
  • 2eggs
  • 2 clovesgarlic
  • ¾ fl ozheavy whipping cream
  • ½ small bunchItalian (flat-leaf) parsley
  • 1 ½ ozParmesan cheese
  • 5 ozspaghetti pasta

From the pantry: black pepper, salt

Cookware

chef's knife · colander · cutting board · garlic press (optional) · grater · large pot · measuring cups · mixing bowls · nonstick skillet · stirring spoon

Directions

  1. Boil a large pot of salted water and drop in the spaghetti, cooking until just tender, about 8–10 minutes.
  2. While the pasta cooks, set a skillet over medium-high heat to preheat.
  3. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook until crispy, 4–5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cream until smooth.
  5. Finely grate the Parmesan and stir it into the egg mixture; season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
  6. When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
  7. Peel and mince the garlic (or press it) and set aside.
  8. Place the reserved bacon fat in the empty pot, return it to low heat, and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
  9. Add the pasta and bacon back to the pot, remove from heat, and pour in the egg mixture; stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  10. If the sauce seems too thick, gradually stir in the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until creamy.
  11. Wash and dry the parsley, strip the leaves from the stems, mince, and add most of it to the pasta (reserve a small amount for garnish).
  12. Divide the pasta between bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parsley for garnish.

Two tips

  • Prep tip: crisp the bacon up front and store the cooked pieces for quick reheating later.
  • Serving idea: swap in a pinch more pepper and a little extra Parmesan on top for a sharper finish.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
693 kcal
Protein
30 g
Carbs
57 g
Fat
37 g
Fiber
3 g
Sodium
453 mg

Estimates from the recipe's published nutrition data; they change with the version you pick above.

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Ingredient quantities, timing and nutrition are recorded from the original Mealime recipe ↗ (captured 2026-09-12). Photo: MealPot, an AI-rendered illustration of the finished dish. Description and directions written by MealPot.

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