Stovetop Spaghetti Carbonara with Pancetta and Parmesan

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-27 · Updated 2026-04-27

A rich and silky Italian pasta dish made by tossing hot spaghetti with eggs, Parmesan cheese, crisp pancetta, and freshly cracked black pepper. This italian-inspired vietnamese ready in about 25 minutes pairs spaghetti, pancetta, diced, large eggs for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 550 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 12 oz spaghetti
• 6 oz pancetta, diced
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 12 oz spaghetti and cook for 8-9 minutes until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the spaghetti.
2. Step 2: While pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 6 oz diced pancetta and cook for 5-7 minutes until crisp and golden, stirring occasionally.
3. Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk 3 large eggs with 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper until smooth.
4. Step 4: Immediately add the hot drained spaghetti to the skillet with pancetta off the heat. Quickly pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta, tossing vigorously and adding reserved pasta water 2 tbsp at a time to create a creamy sauce that coats the spaghetti without scrambling the eggs.