Easy Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Pancetta and Peas

This quick and easy spaghetti alla carbonara combines crispy pancetta (Italian bacon) and sweet peas for a delicious twist on the classic carbonara recipe. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or any time you are craving Italian food.

Pasta alla carbonara is a classic Roman dish that is so quick and easy to make. This spaghetti alla carbonara with peas and pancetta is a delicious twist on this classic and one that I first tried when I was in Rome with my husband.

It is made with all the classic carbonara ingredients plus some delicious Spring peas. No heavy cream! The creaminess comes from the egg yolks. the ingredients are similar to pasta piselli pancetta or peas with Italian bacon but with the addition of eggs.

When we first ordered this dish in Rome, we were so tired from walking the streets of Rome all day. It was the day we visited the Jewish quarter (Jewish ghetto) which is an old area of Rome that dates back to the 1500's. It was so beautiful and majestic that my husband and I let the time slip by and before you knew it we were there for hours.

Since it was relatively close to the Trastevere neighborhood which is known for its amazing food, we grabbed some pasta from a local restaurant there to take back to our house and just enjoyed this pasta there before crashing from exhaustion 🙂

You probably already know how much I love Roman pasta dishes (like my Amatriciana or fettuccine al burro) and with this spaghetti alla carbonara recipe, if you have 30 minutes, that is all the time you need to make this Italian comfort food. Make this in the Spring when peas are in season or anytime throughout the year like I do.

What You Will Need

• Pancetta (Italian bacon): Italian bacon has a slightly different spice flavoring than American bacon. If you cannot find it, regular bacon is a good substitute.
• Peas: I use frozen most often but use what you have access to.
• Parmesan cheese: I prefer Parmesan to Pecorino Romano but either will work great.
• Olive oil
• Egg Yolks: Try to use the freshest eggs with a bright orange yolk.
• Kosher salt and pepper.

The Roman Rule For Carbonara!

In Rome, the classic rule when making a carbonara is to use 1 egg yolk per person. This is used because, in Italy, they will actually measure out their spaghetti in a spaghetti measure. A spaghetti measure is a wooden paddle-shaped plank with round holes of varying size portions. You slide the spaghetti into the holes and the numbers listed next to the holes tell you how many portions it is.

This is so you can measure out the exact amount of spaghetti for one person and when you use the Roman rule, you know how much egg to add to your carbonara. I like to eyeball it though.

In our house, we use 4 egg yolks for one pound of pasta. This is because we are a family of four and we eat 1 pound between all of us.

This golden rule is a good rule of thumb that I like to use when I am trying to remember how many egg yolks to use. I hope it helps you too.

How to Make

This is such a super simple recipe. That is why I make it often! Here are the steps in pictures so you can see how it comes together (full steps below):

• Cook the pancetta and peas- I like to cook the pancetta until very crispy then add the peas and then I set them aside until the pasta is done cooking.
• Prepare egg yolks: this is separating them from the whites and adding the yolks to a large bowl.

• Cook the spaghetti- Always make sure to cook the pasta in water that is boiling strongly (a rolling boil like the picture above) which ensures the pasta cooks evenly. Also only cook it until al dente and make sure to reserve a little pasta water.
• Assemble! Add the spaghetti to the tempered eggs along with the pancetta, peas, and some good Parmesan, and toss, toss, toss. You want to work fast here. Loosen up the sauce with the reserved pasta water if it looks a little dry.

My Top Tips!

Making spaghetti alla carbonara with peas is very easy but I want to share with you what works for me and helps me make a flawless carbonara every time.

• Temper the egg yolks! This does not mean yelling at them :), although after a hard day wouldn't that be nice 🙂 This is just slowly adding a little hot pasta water to the egg yolks in a large bowl before adding the pasta.
• Break the rules! Well some of them. Don't skip the tempering of the eggs part but switch things up to suit your taste. Use bacon, skip the peas, or swap out the peas for leafy greens. Make it your own or use what you have on hand. This is the essence of Italian cooking. Not rules 🙂
• Serve the spaghetti alla carbonara with fresh black pepper. Adding fresh black pepper on top of any carbonara is important. It adds so much flavor.
• Add salt at the end if needed. I don't add any salt to my carbonara. I add salt to the pasta water instead. When you add the salty pasta water to the carbonara when tossing, it will salt the dish. There is also lots of salt in the pancetta.

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