Dane and I were pretty adamant this year: we are staying in for Valentine’s Day! Neither of us are crazy about the holiday to begin with (certainly nothing over-the-top going on at our house), but I still wanted to make the day a little bit special with a fun date night in. One of Dane’s favorite meals at a local restaurant here is Spaghetti Carbonara and I admit – it’s freaking delicious.
Homemade Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
I had never made it at home before, because the bit with the egg was really intimidating to me. Wouldn’t it just fry up in the pan? I had visions of disaster, but I really wanted to surprise him with a homemade carbonara meal. I didn’t know what would surprise him more – the fact that I made this meal or that I went to a butcher shop to get pancetta, LOL! Turns out – this meal is SUPER easy, full of flavor and comes together in less than 20 minutes. Today I’m sharing the step-by-step recipe for you to make some homemade spaghetti carbonara at home and knock the socks off your spouse in the process 😉
Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
You Will Need:
10 ounces of spaghetti (or other linguine)
8 ounces pancetta
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Easy Spaghetti Carbonara
1. In full disclosure, I wanted this date night in to be extra special so I made my homemade pasta and I use this pasta maker. I know a ton of people use the KitchenAid pasta attachment, including my own mom, but I’ve never had luck with it and always use the one I linked. I think it’s all about preference! So the first step is to either make your pasta or grab a box from the store! And to note – no judgement whatsoever on store bought pasta…the heart of this meal is the sauce.
2. Cook your pasta and drain it, keeping a cup of your pasta water on the side for later on. Set pasta + pasta water aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and cheese. Set aside.
4. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add in 1 tbsp. olive oil and saute the pancetta until just crispy.
5. Drain excess oil (leave a tiny bit in there) and add in your garlic.
Now listen up, because the next steps you have to do very quickly, so read all the way through before you get started. I highly recommend having all your ingredients by your stovetop ready to go. In fancy chef terms — mise en place, baby!6. When your garlic begins to get fragrant, add in your spaghetti (or other pasta) and egg/cheese mixture. Stir quickly and continuously until well mixed.
7. Grab your pasta water and add in a little bit at a time until your pasta reaches a level of creaminess that you prefer.
8. Add in your salt and pepper, stir, remove from heat and serve.Instead of sitting at our breakfast bar like normal, I set the table, poured some delicious wine, turned on our favorite Pandora station (Frank Sinatra) and lit a candle. I’ll be honest – I kind of wish I had worn something a little bit more romantic than yoga pants – but hey, can’t win ’em all right 😉 It was such a great night and we finished it off by munching on some of the yummy shortbread cookies I made earlier in the week. It was a great way to celebrate the fact that we are taking a trip to Italy this spring for two weeks starting in Venice and traveling all the way down to Rome. Dane has never been so I’m excited to show him all of my favorite spots.
Now let’s chat – have you ever attempted Spaghetti Carbonara before? What is your favorite way to surprise your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/bestie? How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?