Bacon & Egg Pasta

Name: Bacon & Egg Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: g spaghetti or penne; g streaky bacon, chopped; large eggs; g parmesan, finely grated (plus extra for the table); ml cream; black pepper; salt for the pasta water

25 mineasy4 original servings

A kid-friendly, creamy bacon and egg pasta that delivers all the comfort of carbonara without the risk of scrambled eggs — the cream gives you a wider safety window. Ready in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Serves

400 g spaghetti or penne
250 g streaky bacon, chopped
3 large eggs
80 g parmesan, finely grated (plus extra for the table)
60 ml cream
black pepper
salt for the pasta water

Instructions

1
Boil the pasta in well-salted water.
2
While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon in a wide pan until golden and the fat is rendered — no extra oil needed.
3
Whisk together the eggs, parmesan, cream and a good grind of pepper in a jug.
4
When the pasta is 1 minute off al dente, scoop out a mugful of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
5
Tip the pasta straight into the bacon pan off the heat. Toss for 30 seconds so the pan cools slightly.
Tip: Taking the pan off the heat is essential — this is what stops the egg from scrambling.
6
Pour in the egg mixture and toss hard, keeping it moving. Add splashes of reserved pasta water until the sauce is glossy and creamy, not scrambled.
7
Serve immediately with more parmesan and black pepper on top.

Notes & Tips

The off-heat trick

Off-heat is the whole game — that's what stops the egg scrambling. The cream gives you a wider safety window than classic carbonara if the pan is still a bit hot.