Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Bacon, Parmesan, and Egg Yolk

Headnote

This is a carbonara-style pasta built on restraint: a silken sauce, the depth of cured bacon, and the clean richness of egg yolk. Heavy cream lends stability without dulling the dish, while parmesan and black pepper give it the necessary edge. The result should be glossy, cohesive, and immediate on the palate.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Pasta
Cuisine or origin: Italian-inspired
Course type: Main course
Yield: 1 serving
Serving size: 430 g
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate

Equipment

Medium saucepan
Large sauté pan
Fine grater
Mixing bowl
Tongs
Wooden spoon
Colander

Ingredients

Wheat pasta: 110 g
Bacon: 80 g, cut into lardons
Olive oil: 10 g
Onion: 20 g, finely diced
Garlic: 5 g, finely sliced
Heavy cream: 70 g
Egg yolk: 18 g
Parmesan cheese: 35 g, finely grated
Black pepper: 2 g, freshly ground
Salt: 3 g
Parsley: 5 g, finely chopped

Method

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a full boil and season it with the salt. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until just tender with a firm center. Reserve 50 g of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

2. While the pasta cooks, place the bacon in a large sauté pan with the olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is lightly crisp at the edges.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon. Cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant but not colored.

4. Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream and simmer gently for 2 minutes, just until slightly thickened. The sauce should remain fluid and pale.

5. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolk, parmesan, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and thick.

6. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan and toss for 30 seconds to coat it evenly in the cream and bacon fat. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the egg yolk mixture and toss vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds, loosening with a little reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce becomes glossy and clings to the pasta without scrambling.

7. Fold in the parsley and adjust the texture with a small amount of reserved pasta water only if necessary. The finished pasta should be supple, creamy, and lightly coated, not loose in the pan.

Plating and serving

Twirl the pasta into a warmed bowl, drawing the bacon evenly through the strands. Spoon any remaining sauce over the top and finish with a final turn of black pepper. Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and the pasta remains perfectly supple.

Professional notes

Keep the heat low once the cream is added; the yolk must be emulsified, not cooked. The pasta water should be used sparingly, only to restore silkiness. Parmesan must be finely grated so it dissolves cleanly into the sauce.