Carbonara recipe with single cream

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Sent in by Natalina from London

6 ratingsRate this recipe

An easy pasta dish for all the family to enjoy...

  • Prep Time 20 mins
  • Cook Time 10 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Difficulty Level Easy

Preparation

  • Total Time 30 mins
  • Preparation Time 20 mins
  • Cooking Time 10 mins
  • 400g spaghetti
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  • rosemary (2 sprigs)
  • 200g bacon, chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 150ml fresh single cream
  • 100g mushroom (optional), sliced

Pasta

  1. Put the pasta on to cook according to packet instructions

Sauce

  1. Finely chop the onions, garlic, rosemary and gently fry on a medium heat in the olive oil for approx 3 mins stirring continuously
  2. Add the roughly chopped bacon/pancetta/ham and cook until crispy (approx 5 mins) stirring continuously to avoid burning
  3. Spoon out any excess oil from the pan
  4. Reduce heat to low, add cream and stir gently, ensuring all ingredients are covered in cream
  5. Drain pasta and add to sauce - stir pasta and sauce to ensure all pasta is covered
  6. Serve immediately and enjoy!!!

You will need

Pasta pot - This stanless steel one allows you to strain and drain foods directly from the pan, eliminating the need for a separate colander. You can find it at Amazon for £22.49.

Tips

The sauce will only take 8–10 mins so work out when to start this according to how long the pasta takes to cook

Variations

  • Substituting the bacon for ham; this is better for children and babies as it contains less salt
  • Adding chopped courgettes and mushrooms when cooking this for the little ones, as it will be so tasty they won't even notice there are vegetables in it!

Reviews

6 ratingsRate this recipe

  • Gemma C(1038)

    5

    Delicious, everyone loved it. Quick and easy. Used garlic powder and dried rosemary instead of fresh also added cheddar cheese into the sauce and a little bit of pepper at the end. Never leave comments but had to with this one, give it a go!!!

  • Angela T(358)

    5

    This carbonara is so quick and easy to make, the whole family loves it! I chop mushrooms up small so that my youngest doesn't realise or she wouldn't eat it :)

  • Guest

    3

    Had high hopes for this dish but found it to be quite sweet, although seasoning with pepper brought it down a little. Nice and quick though!

  • Guest

    5

    Yummy! The kids enjoyed this, so simple, yet very tasty. A quick & easy meal for a week night

  • Guest

    5

    The best carbonara I have ever tasted, it even tops the local Italian restaurant's attempt! Clean plates all round and massive thumbs up after this easy, comforting dish.

  • Esther A(25)

    5

    Such a good recipe, everybody should have it in their repertoire. It's one of those meals where you just want a bit more!!

  • Guest

    I never add cream, I use a tub of low fat creme fraiche! Nice and creamy and not as high in calories!

  • Guest

    how much single cream would you add to the first recipie? does anyone know? :)

  • Garry N(2)

    Ta Maria, followed the link. Proper carbonara, without a lot of the calories from the cream.

  • Guest

    tried the top one as it seemed simpler, but i added peppers and mushrooms and i put in the whole sprig rosemary and took out at end, didnt like the texture of eating that un roasted! the flavours were still there from it though and it was simple and nice!

  • Guest

    OMG this pasta was so yummy. I made number 1 and grated some cheese into it. All my 3 boys wanted seconds. It was so quick to make, will be making it again. Yum yum

  • Guest

    Maria n, thank you for the website address. That's the carbonara I remember from Rome (delish it was too) so will be trying that one again. So quick and easy to make.

  • Guest

    Hi, I am italian and I find more reciepies arranged different to italian original recepies. I believe like a british food, is appropriate, to avoid lost our culture, follow original reciepies and not invented personal o arrange different and give a name far from the orignal. When I am going in italian restaurant and they present me food far to recognise as italian food, I am very disappointed. I understand more old Italian restaurants want save his name on the restaurant but sale or rent to a people different culture and for businnes try so save money to import food ...etc. One cook follow real italian food is Jamie ( or Gino or some cook I don not the name)......and he used the importance we give to the food in our country.....(maybe follow the or follow the roman banquet......or the starving during and after war...),it represents different region, represents different climate and local agriculture and combination taste and flavor. Food is representation our culture, italian, british, indian, african.... My comment not intent to be rude hope so also my english not be awful. example .....http://www.romefile.com/foodanddrink /carbonara.php love all,Maria

  • Guest

    Nice with some peas (add frozen peas to the pasta when cooking).

  • Guest

    made this tonight was yummy!

  • Guest

    If you want a low fat version try mixing a sml tub of light philladelphia thinned down with milk and one egg (season with s&p and garlic to taste). Stir into cooked (still hot) pasta and add chopped ham, serve immdiately.

  • Guest

    Low-fat creme fraiche? Or half that and half low-fat yoghurt. Lucyx

  • Guest

    Any ideas of what to use instead of the cream? I am dieting and would like to substitute the cream for something a little less fattening, any ideas?

  • Guest

    For an even easier and quicker carbonara, use a tin of condensed mushroom soup adding grated strong cheddar cheese and ham cut into small pieces. Heat through until the cheese has melted and the sauce is piping hot. Stir in cooked pasta shapes and serve. Tried and tested! Been making this for years!

  • Guest

    I made the first recipe and it was very nice. DH absolutely loved it. I sprinkled a bit of cheese on and it aswell. Im not one for creamy sauces, I prefer tomato based for pasta but I did enjoy this. Its Friday today and DS1 (4) has been ill and off his food since Monday but he attempted some of this and said it was lovely!

  • Guest

    Great success! I made a combination of both recipes - the onions etc from recipe 1 but the sauce from recipe 2. I also added a handful of chopped chestnut mushrooms. I think I left mine on the hob a little bit too long at the end - it was gorgeous when first served but solidified a little bit. Either the eggs were a little too cooked or maybe too much cheese? That said, I'll definitely make this again as it was so quick and tasty and i'm sure i'll work out the little kinks next time. Thanks for sharing!

  • Guest

    Just made this for me and my 2 kids (they are 5 and 9)ad it was a total success! They loced it, as did i, and asked for me to make it again tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!!

  • Guest

    The recipe with the parmesan cheese is pretty much the same as mine, only i add petits pois, its very tasty xx

  • Guest

    I tried recipe 1 - the easiest dinner I have ever cooked and so delicious. We did add grated parmesan, which made it a little naughtier but also a little nicer :-)

  • Guest

    Fantastic and so easy to make. Hubby and kids love it. I even made it to take to work for a leaving tea party. I added peas which my little boy ate and used low fat creme fraiche and elmlea double cream to replace the single cream in the first recipe. Yum

  • Guest

    I tried receipe 2 - simple, absolutely delicious and kids loved it. Am going to try and hide vegetables in it next time!

  • Guest

    just made this! delicious!!!strongly recommend it so easy and quick to make!

  • Guest

    Fantastic, easy and very tasty sauce. My husband loved it, it's a light sauce not too rich. Two out of three kids argued over left overs, so must be good.

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