Best Pasta Carbonara (Without Cream!)
on Aug 02, 2022
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Everyone should know how to make this 15-minute classic Italian pasta carbonara. It’s ridiculously easy and delicious. With a few simple tips you can make it just as well as any fancy restaurant – with just 5 main ingredients! It’s a super creamy pasta perfect for a quick weeknight meal, but guess what? NO CREAM!
Why you’ll love it
I love the idea of a lush creamy pasta, but I don’t like my pasta to be drenched in cream. The perfect compromise? An authentic no-cream pasta carbonara!
I’ve eaten some really terrible, too-rich versions, and I’ve eaten some fantastic ones. Each to their own, but this is why I think this is the best easy carbonara pasta recipe:
- There’s NO CREAM. Not a single drop. Eggs alone are enough to make a delicious creamy (and healthy) carbonara sauce for your pasta… if you follow my simple tips!
- It’s super simple, made with just a few basic ingredients. Get bacon, eggs and cheese, and you probably already have everything else you need in your pantry.
- It’s on the table in about 15 minutes. Once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s just as quick and easy to make as a sandwich!
- It’s honestly restaurant quality. Thanks to a few simple tips, this is one of those ‘miracle meals’ that takes mere minutes but tastes like it took you hours.
- This is a perfect midweek meal, but just as good for easy entertaining!
Fun facts: Originally from the Lazio region (Rome), this ‘no cream’ carbonara happens to be how a traditional Italian carbonara is made.
As the name comes from the Italian word ‘carbonaro’ (meaning ‘charcoal burner’), some believe that this hearty, tasty dish was first made for Italian charcoal workers. Similar versions of the recipe go back to the mid 19th century, but pasta alla carbonara as we know it first started appearing in recipe books around 1950.
Ingredients
One of the best things about this recipe is that you probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. Typically all I have to buy is the bacon and perhaps some pecorino or parmesan.
Just try to use quality ingredients since there are only a few!
Here’s a photo of the ingredients you’ll need for the creamy ‘no cream’ carbonara (minus the pasta!):
What pasta to use: I like to use linguine which is just slightly thicker and flatter than spaghetti. But carbonara made in this classic ‘just eggs’ way is both light enough and rich enough to make with a variety of pasta types.
For the most traditional carbonara, use long pasta such as spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine, but really there are no rules set in stone. Short pasta such as penne or rigatoni (tube pasta!) work, too.
Here’s a guide to which pasta shapes to use when if you’re interested in reading more about it!
Butter: Butter (for cooking) adds great flavour, but feel free to use olive oil instead. If your meat is quite fatty, you don’t have to add any extra fat at all.
Eggs: Perhaps surprisingly, only 2 large eggs, lightly whisked. Basically, you only need 1 egg per person you’re serving. Since the eggs are the star of the show in the sauce, I usually try to use fresh free range or organic eggs.
Fun fact: Some traditional carbonara recipes use just egg yolks for a richer sauce! You can add an extra yolk if you like, but I prefer to use the whole egg for a lighter but still very creamy (with no cream!) sauce.
Meat: Traditionally, carbonara is made with ‘guanciale’ or ‘pancetta’, both types of fairly fatty Italian cured pork. Outside of Italy, however, it’s more common to use ‘lardons’ (bacon cubes) or bacon, which is what I usually use. Smoked, streaky bacon works well for a great flavor.
As long as it’s salty and crisp any kind of good quality thick cut bacon will taste great.
You can even make a delicious carbonara with good quality smoked ham. Just remember to only cook it lightly for a minute or two, as it’s already cooked.
Garlic: This isn’t essential for an original carbonara recipe. I like to add a couple of whole cloves however, just to flavor the sauce as it cooks. Sometimes I squish them around a bit before removing to extract as much flavor as I can.
Cheese: Again, for a more authentic carbonara use parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano. Alternatively, just use parmesan. Make sure it’s finely grated so that it melts easily into the sauce.
Parsley: For sprinkling over at the end. This is not essential to a traditional pasta carbonara, but I think it makes all the difference.
Salt and pepper: Season generously with salt and black pepper. Again, makes all the difference!
How to make carbonara without cream
It’s as simple as these 6 easy steps:
Step 1: Boil the pasta. Check the cooking instructions and cook until ‘al dente’ or just cooked. Don’t drain the water after cooking! (see tips below)
Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large frying pan. If you’re using pancetta or particularly fatty bacon you can skip this step as the bacon will cook in its own fat.
Step 3: Cook bacon for 5-10 minutes with whole garlic cloves until cooked and lightly crisp.
Step 4: Take half of bacon out of pan. Transfer pasta straight from the cooking water to the pan with tongs.
Step 5: Take off heat (very important!). Add whisked eggs mixed with half the cheese and some salt and pepper. Then toss quickly and confidently until all the pasta is coated in the velvety sauce.
You should have just enough time to make the egg sauce while the pasta is cooking. How convenient is that?!
Step 5: Layer pasta, bacon, cheese, and salt and pepper in bowls. Top with parsley.
Eat immediately. Savour every delicious mouthful!
Helen’s tips
I have 7 essential tips for success to take your quick and easy creamless carbonara from good to exceptional!
Top tip: Read through the recipe once or twice and have all the ingredients ready before you start. You need to be able to work fast and confidently for the best results!
- Consider cooking your bacon in butter. I hardly ever use butter for cooking, but I love the extra flavor it adds to this recipe.
- Add two cloves of garlic to the pan while cooking the bacon – for another extra burst of flavor!
- Add the pasta to the bacon pan straight from the cooking water. This way you don’t lose any of the delicious flavor from the bacon cooking juices. You also automatically transfer some of the pasta cooking water which helps make a beautiful creamy, glossy sauce.
- Take the pan off the heat before you add the eggs. Quickly toss the sauce through until the pasta is evenly coated (I use tongs). You don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs!
- Layer up the different components on each person’s plate! So… start with pasta, sprinkle over bacon, parmesan, and salt & pepper. Repeat. Bacon and cheese in every bite. Yum.
- Serve immediately to prevent the sauce from drying up before serving. This is definitely a dish that’s at its best when eaten straight away. Enjoy!
Variations
Like many classic recipes, this no cream carbonara recipe is pretty perfect as it is! However, if you’d like to change things up a little, here’s what you can try:
- Try chicken or smoked salmon instead of bacon. The smoked salmon won’t need cooking so simply mix it into the egg and cheese mixture before tossing it through the pasta.
- Replace the optional parsley garnish with fresh chives or basil if you like.
- For a vegetarian carbonara without cream, replace the bacon with mushrooms, caramelized onions, asparagus, zucchini, spinach, cubed eggplant or a mixture of these. Just cook these in the same way as the bacon before tossing through the pasta and egg sauce.
Carbonara also makes a perfect lazy weekend meal! If you want more ideas, check out this list of 100 easy Sunday dinner ideas!
Recipe FAQ
Nope, they aren’t raw. And so yes, they are perfectly safe to eat. The eggs cook as you stir them into the hot pasta with a bit of the cooking water. You end up with a delicious glossy egg sauce that’s cooked but not scrambled!
I’ll be honest – this has happened to me more than once. The key is to take the pan off the heat BEFORE you add the pasta and eggs. Briefly toss the eggs through the hot pasta. Use kitchen tongs to transfer the pasta straight to the pan along with a bit of cooking water. Then assemble and serve the meal as fast as you can!
You can serve it as it is, or with a very simple green salad or some green vegetables on the side.
More easy pasta recipes
- Ever tried pasta alla norma? It’s another easy authentic Italian recipe you’ll love! Another perfect quick vegetarian option is this 12-minute cherry tomato casarecce pasta.
- This creamy pesto chicken with mushrooms and parmesan is another 15-minute pasta recipe you’ll love (there’s a secret ‘no cream’ ingredient, and I usually serve it with tagliatelle!)
- Creamy chicken and mushroom pappardelle (another creamy pasta without much cream)
- Easy creamy chorizo pasta! (AKA pink sauce pasta!)
- If you’re loving the Mediterranean vibe of this recipe, try this 20-minute lemony Mediterranean tuna pasta too.
- Pasta with Italian marinara sauce is the perfect last-minute pantry dinner!
Or take a look at all my pasta recipes.
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Best Pasta Carbonara (Without Cream!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4½ ounces linguine, or spaghetti, or any pasta of your choice
- 3.5 ounces bacon, (or pancetta) chopped – thick cut smoked bacon is best (or lardons)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, (or pecorino or parmigiano-reggiano), finely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a little chopped fresh parsley, optional
to serve (optional)
- simple green salad; OR
- green vegetables
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the cooking instructions until 'al dente'. Whisk half of the parmesan into the eggs, grind in some salt and pepper, and set aside.⅓ cup parmesan cheese, 4½ ounces linguine, salt and freshly ground black pepper
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the bacon/pancetta and garlic cloves and let cook, stirring often, for 5 – 10 minutes until golden and starting to crisp. Then discard the garlic.3.5 ounces bacon, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 garlic cloves
- Take about half of the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the bacon juices behind. Take the pan off the heat (very important!).
- Use kitchen tongs or a spaghetti server spoon to lift the pasta straight out of the cooking water and into the bacon pan.
- As quickly as you can, pour the eggs and parmesan mixture over the hot pasta in the pan. Also add a little more pasta cooking water. Briefly toss everything together so that the eggs `just` cook (without scrambling!).
- Quickly serve out a little of the pasta onto each dish. Top with a little of the reserved bacon and parmesan and grind over a little more salt and pepper. Top this layer with more pasta and the rest of the bacon and parmesan.
- Scatter with a little fresh parsley if using. Serve immediately by itself or with a simple green salad or green vegetables.a little chopped fresh parsley, simple green salad; OR, green vegetables
I don’t think you are a food snob! A dish with too much cream sounds really yucky. And your carbonara sounds really good, although I’m really not sure about cooking bacon in butter (I’m not a big fan of grease), although I bet it tastes wonderful. A note about hummus: the way I learned to make it from my Lebanese boyfriend a bazillion years ago, the only olive oil in it was drizzled over the top of the finished product t9 add flavor, along with some chopped parsley.
Thanks for not thinking I’m a food snob, Susan! You’d be surprised how nice the bacon in butter is. It doesn’t turn out too greasy, it just adds a little more flavour to the finished dish. If you’re still unsure, though, you could just use olive oil – that would really be fine!
Thanks for the hummus tip. I made it again last week for the first time in a long time and added water to thin it out (not olive oil, thank goodness!) but I did forget the drizzle of olive oil at the end. I’ll definitely remember that next time!
My husband’s favorite dish and was just hinting the other day that he would like it again. I always end up somehow with scrambled eggs…threw away the bacon grease…..and on and on. NOW I know better since I read your recipe and will use it this week. Hubby is a brave man for he even liked it with all my mistakes! I too live in Niagara Falls and so we should start a fan club here for your blog! smile…and keep those wonderful recipes coming!
Hello, Joyce, and thanks so much for your lovely comment! I had to smile at your ‘Niagara Falls fan club’ suggestion … I am very honoured indeed that you would think of such a thing! I’m so glad that you are thinking of making this. Another commenter above suggests putting a bit of cheese (and bacon – why not?) right in the bottom of the dish before you start layering as well. I think that’s a great idea!
I really hope this turns out OK for you. I’m sure you won’t end up with scrambled eggs!
Perfecto! I would have sent the restaurant dish back. What a disappointment it must have been. Great tips here 🙂
Thanks, Tandy! Yes, I think maybe I should have sent that dish back. I guess I need to lose a bit of my English ‘politeness’. (or rather tendency to keep quiet and then grumble afterwards, like I am doing now!)
Nothing can beat a good ol’ classic pasta carbonara… Yumm!! Looks delicious!! Love love it!! I am so craving for it now!! 😀
So happy you like it, Arpita! You’re right, this is a fabulous classic that never gets boring. Just a tiny bit tricky to get right, but then once you’ve mastered it it’s a great easy weeknight standby. 🙂
I’ve made carbonara once and loved it, so I don’t know why I’ve never made it again! I don’t like pasta swimming in sauce either, and I love your tips here, Helen. Carbonara is one of those things thats so delicious once you master it, and I need to revisit it. Pinning!
Thanks so much, Marcie. I’m so happy that you approve! I do that sometimes, too – make something and love it and then for some reason don’t make it again for ages. Silly, really! I totally agree that a good carbonara is worth mastering. It’s a great easy classic to have to hand.
You definitely can’t go wrong with this classic dish, Helen! I love ordering pasta at restaurants and try to eat dishes that are out of the ordinary. But I agree, sometimes the descriptions just aren’t accurate! I love the looks of this pasta. So full of flavor, with the perfect balance!
It’s very often hard to imagine what a dish tastes like from a description – I agree. But in no way should ‘a splash of cream’ mean a whole carton dumped in there! hahaha 😉
OMG I would have been the same exact with that restaurant meal! Gross. Snobby…not to me…or else I’m a snob too. 😉
They way you’ve prepared this dish is exactly how I’d love it! Looks fabulous. 🙂
Thanks so much, Tina. I feel sort of relieved that the feedback on this recipe is good so far, because really I’m no pasta expert!
Glad you would have been ‘snobby’ over this, too … that meal really was gross!!
Hmmmm, are they’re any dishes I’m making wrong……probably all of them! hehe. I laughed out loud at your Italian restaurant experience thinking myself, hmmm, if Helen was in the Niagara Falls area, I’d invite her over for coffee and chocolate (our specialities here) not dinner!! hehe. I’d be too scared to cook for a food blogger. But your pasta dish looks so so good. I’ve seen this type of thing on fancy Italian restaurants where I live (we have a lot of awesome Italian restaurants here). but I’ve never had the courage to give it a whirl, probably because I don’t have a great/tested recipe like this one to try. I love the tips you provided, especially cooking the bacon in butter, did not know that! I’m still wondering why the garlic gets discarded though even if you snuck some in?!?
Oh, Laura, if only you knew! ALL of my recipes are experiments and probably go wrong about 30 to 50 percent of the time … honestly! But I would certainly be happy with coffee and chocolate if I ever did manage to pass by your house. Chocolate = my fave!
So glad you enjoyed my tips … again, they are amateur tips but definitely worked for me. To be honest I don’t think you have to discard the garlic if you’d rather keep it in for more flavour. You can mush it up a little with your wooden spoon and just leave it in the dish because by this time it’s well cooked. It’s really a personal choice whether you discard it or keep it in.
I hope you do get the courage to give this a whirl some time, Laura! Don’t worry – who cares if the eggs end up scrambled the first time? I’ve definitely done that a few times!
Oh wow this pasta is perfection. I seriously had pasta last night now I am craving more carbs!!
Thanks so much, Jocelyn! Oh go on, have some more carbs!
This is how I like my carbonara, too! And with no cream in sight! My recipe comes from Valentina Harris’s book on reginal Italian cookery, and doesn’t have the garlic (I think), but it does have a bit of butter added to the egss and cheese.
I agree with your tips, and that’s how I do it, too, except the layering. I don’t layer, but I do put a bit of cheese in the bottom of the pasta bowl, because I feel it’s such a shame when you get to the bottom, and there’s no cheese left. And it’s a nice suprise for the people we cook for when they find there is a bit of cheese left at the bottom. 🙂
Oh, I’m so relieved that you agree with my tips, Ana! I definitely think the garlic is optional – I liked it though because it just added a tiny hint of extra flavour. Next time I’ll put some cheese in the bottom of my dish, too. I think that just might take a good carbonara up to the next level. Thanks so much for visiting … now I’m interested in checking out that cook-book!