By: Merritt Allen

Carbonara is a delicious Italian dish that combines cheese, eggs, and bacon for a delicious meal. This recipe for angel hair pasta carbonara is a spin on this classic dish! If you love carbonara, you will love angel hair pasta carbonara. This angel hair pasta carbonara uses extra parmesan and Pecorino Romano to add extra saltiness and creaminess.

For ease and time, this recipes uses thick cut bacon, which is easy to find and just as delicious as the traditional guanciale, which is a salted and thick cut pork! This recipe for angel hair pasta carbonara is easy and the perfect weeknight dinner or a comfort meal for any chilly night.

angel hair pasta carbonara with pecorino romano

Common Questions for Angel Hair Pasta Carbonara:

What is Carbonara Made Of?

Carbonara is a combination of pasta, cheese, eggs, ham and pasta water. The egg yolks combine with the cheese and pasta water to create the creamiest cheese sauce to coat the noodles!
This carbonara with angel hair pasta uses angel hair pasta, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, and bacon to make a unique and delicious carbonara variation. I like the texture of angel hair pasta a lot and it pairs so well with the cheese and bacon.

Can You Reheat Carbonara?

You can definitely reheat carbonara to be as creamy and delicious as when you first made it! To make sure the cheese does not become a gloopy mess, add 1 Tbs of water to a bowl of leftover carbonara and then reheat in a microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. You can even turn the power level down on your microwave to 60-80% power if you have that function.

carbonara made with angel hair pasta and bacon

Is Carbonara Sauce Supposed to Have Cream?

Most carbonara, including traditional carbonara does not contain cream. There is added fat from the cheese and egg yolks that help make the cheese sauce so smooth. This angel hair carbonara is a no cream carbonara recipe as well!
Cream can be used to add liquid and additional fat to the cheese sauce if you find that your ratios of cheese to pasta is off. If you would like to experiment with cream, you can add in a couple of tablespoons to the cheese and egg mixture prior to add to the pasta.

What Does Angel Hair Pasta Carbonara Taste Like?

Angel hair pasta carbonara tastes exactly like regular carbonara except the texture is a little different. With a smaller noodle, the angel hair has less chew than spaghetti noodles and is done cooking a lot sooner.
Angel hair pasta is still a wheat based pasta, like spaghetti, and the flavors of cheese and bacon mix so well with this pasta shape.
Carbonara should have a smooth and delicious cheese taste. Since the cheese is mixed with eggs and egg yolks, the noodles are coated in a very smooth cheese sauce. Paired with bacon and black pepper, the flavors are smooth, creamy, and a little salty.

What Goes with Carbonara Go With?

Angel hair pasta Carbonara is a great pasta dish to pair with steak, chicken or even shrimp for a Carbonara Di Mare, if you will. I both adding to my carbonara or leaving it plain and serving with a salad. Let me know how you like your carbonara in the comments below!
Make a Kale Salad! This is a great way to add some vegetables and lighten the meal. Carbonara can be a heavier dish with all that delicious cheese, and having a kale salad on the side is a good way to make sure you get your vegetables.
Lemon Dill Chicken is a light and flavorful chicken dish that would pair really well with the cheese in angel hair pasta carbonara!

Ingredients for Angel Hair Pasta Carbonara:

Recipe: Serves 6-8

1 lb (16 oz) Angel Hair Pasta Dried or fresh. Fresh pasta will have more starch is so delicious if you can find it!
100 grams parmesan cheese very finely grated
50 grams Pecorino Romano You can use all Pecorino Romano but it will be a stronger flavor than parmesan.
3 garlic cloves Garlic adds delicious flavor. Feel free to leave out if needed.
5 strips of thick cut bacon 1/2 lb or 200 grams
2 eggs The eggs help add binder and make the sauce so creamy when combined with pasta water and egg yolks.
4 egg yolks The egg yolks add fat and color.
10 grams tapioca corn starch starch works too. This is a way to quickly thicken the sauce.
1 cup pasta water plue more as needed. The pasta water helps emulisy the mixture of cheese and egg.
salt and pepper for serving

Pecorino Romano and Parmesan

Cheese and Egg Mixture

Bacon and Garlic

Crispy Bacon

Angel Hair Pasta

Cook the Pasta

Directions For Carbonara with Angel Hair Pasta

Prepare the Eggs and Cheese
1. Separate the 4 egg yolks into a bowl. Save the egg whites for later! I make scrambled egg whites the next morning usually.
2. Add in the 2 eggs and whisk together. Set aside to come to room temperature. These eggs and egg yolks will be combined with the cheese later.
3. In a medium bowl grate the Parmesan and Pecorino Romano. Using bricks of parmesan and Pecorino Romano will allow the cheese to emulsify better with the pasta water and eggs. Using pre-ground cheese, will often have additives to keep the cheese stabilized which will make it hard to get a super smooth cheese sauce.
4. Measure out the tapioca starch and add to the cheese.
Cook the Bacon and Pasta
1. Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat.
2. Chop the bacon into small pieces and mince the garlic.
3. Add the bacon, garlic, and 1/2 cup of water to the pot. Stir and allow the bacon to cook until just starting to crisp, about 6-7 minutes. The time to cook the bacon will vary depending how big the pot is and how thick the bacon is. The water helps keeps the garlic from burning and will prevent burning onto the bottom of the pot.
4. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pot and add the angel hair pasta with enough water to cover the noodles. Add in 2-3 tsp of salt to season the pasta water. Stir to lift any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
5. cook the pasta to aldente according to package instructions. Set aside 1-1/2 cups of pasta water and drain any other excess using a colander.
3. Combine the Cheese and Pasta
1. Combine the cheese, eggs, and tapioca starch. Mix together and add in pasta water 1/2 cup at a time until you have a watery cheese sauce.
2. In your heavy bottomed pot, add the pasta, bacon, and cheese slurry. Mix together, stirring continuously. If the pasta and cheese seem dry, add in a couple extra tablespoons of pasta water. I also suggest stirring either off the heat if your pasta is still hot or on very low heat.
3. Continue to stir until the water and cheese have emulsified to coat your noodles in a glossy cheese sauce, about 1 minute.
4. Serve immediately with extra cheese and black pepper!

Angel Hair Pasta Carbonara