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This single serving Pasta Carbonara is a creamy, satisfying dish that’s incredibly easy to prepare. With just a few simple ingredients—pasta, bacon, egg, and cheese—you can make this classic pasta right in your own kitchen, perfect for any time you want a comforting, flavorful meal.
Looking for more single serving pasta recipes? Try my Caprese Pasta, Mushroom Pasta, Shrimp Scampi, or Pasta al Limone. Each recipe is perfectly portioned for one.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everyday Ingredients: Made with basics you likely have on hand.
- Quick to Prepare: Ready in about 20 minutes.
- Rich and Creamy: The egg and cheese sauce creates a velvety, flavorful coating for the pasta.
- Easily Scalable: Want to make Pasta Carbonara for two? Just double the ingredients.
Pasta Carbonara has always been one of my favorite meals—simple yet so satisfying. Traditionally made with pancetta, this version uses bacon for its rich, smoky flavor, making it even more accessible without losing what makes Carbonara so special. This single serving dish is perfect for a quick dinner or a meal just for you, proving that the best recipes don’t need to be complicated.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serve Pasta Carbonara recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Pasta: Spaghetti is traditional for Carbonara, but fettuccine or linguine work just as well. Leftover pasta? Use it in Chicken Tetrazzini or Spaghetti and Meatballs.
- Bacon (or Pancetta): Traditional Carbonara is made with guanciale, but bacon is an easy, flavorful substitute. If you have pancetta on hand, you can use it instead for a more authentic taste. Any extra bacon can be used in Crack Chicken, German Potato Salad, or a Cobb Salad.
- Garlic: One clove of garlic brings a bold flavor to the dish.
- Egg, Parmesan, Salt, and Pepper: These ingredients are whisked together to create a rich, creamy sauce for the pasta. I highly recommend grating your own cheese. Pre-grated or shredded cheeses do not melt well.
Recipe Variations
Try one of these simple variations to add a new twist to your Carbonara while keeping all the rich, comforting flavors you love:
- Carbonara with Peas: Stir in fresh or frozen peas for a pop of color and natural sweetness.
- Shrimp Carbonara: Swap the bacon for sautéed shrimp.
- Spicy Carbonara: Add red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for extra heat.
- Mushroom Carbonara: Sautéed mushrooms add a rich, earthy flavor.
How To Make Pasta Carbonara
These photos show how to make a single serving of Pasta Carbonara. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Mix the Egg & Cheese: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, grated Parmesan, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the Bacon: In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- Sauté the Garlic: Return the skillet to medium heat. If any bacon drippings remain, leave them in the pan. Add the sliced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Toss in the hot pasta and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Make the Sauce: Add a small amount of reserved pasta water to cool the skillet slightly. Once the sizzling stops, slowly pour in the egg and cheese mixture, stirring constantly to create a creamy sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to reach the right consistency.
- Finish & Serve: Crumble the bacon over the pasta and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.
Expert Tips
- Have Everything Ready: This dish comes together fast, so prep all ingredients before you start cooking.
- Take the Skillet Off the Heat: Remove the pan before adding the egg mixture—the residual warmth will create a creamy sauce without scrambling the eggs.
- Use Hot Pasta: Freshly cooked pasta helps the sauce come together smoothly.
- Keep Stirring: Toss the pasta constantly to evenly coat it in the sauce.
- Add Pasta Water Slowly: You may not need all of it—add a little at a time until the sauce reaches the right consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Pasta Carbonara is delicious on its own, but adding a side can make the meal even better. Here are a few easy options:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! To make an eggless carbonara, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Add it to the sautéed garlic in the skillet, stir for 30 seconds, then add the pasta and cheese and toss until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens.
Yes! If you have leftover pasta, you can still make Carbonara. Warm the pasta in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth before adding the egg and cheese mixture. This helps the sauce coat the pasta properly without clumping.
This happens if the pan is too hot. Make sure to remove it from heat before adding the egg mixture and stir constantly to prevent scrambling.
Carbonara is best eaten fresh, but if needed, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day.
Reheat gently on the stove over low heat with a splash of reserved pasta water or broth. Avoid microwaving, as it can cause the eggs to overcook.
Yes! Simply double the ingredients to make two servings.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serve Pasta Carbonara or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Pasta Carbonara For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese -plus more for topping
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 strip thick bacon
- 2 ounces dry spaghetti (2-ounces of dry spaghetti is roughly the same diameter as a U.S. quarter coin.
- 1 clove garlic -sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the egg mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the bacon: In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- Sauté the garlic: Return the skillet to medium heat, leaving a little bacon drippings in the pan. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Toss in the hot pasta and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Make the sauce: Stir in a small amount of reserved pasta water to cool the skillet slightly. Once the sizzling stops, slowly pour in the egg mixture, stirring constantly to create a smooth sauce.The heat from the pasta will naturally thicken the eggs into a velvety coating.
- Adjust the consistency: Add more pasta water, a little at a time, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.If needed, return the pan to low heat briefly, tossing until the sauce sets.
- Finish and serve: Crumble the bacon over the pasta and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
- Have Everything Ready: This dish comes together fast, so prep all ingredients before you start cooking.
- Take the Skillet Off the Heat: Remove the pan before adding the egg mixture—the residual warmth will create a creamy sauce without scrambling the eggs.
- Use Hot Pasta: Freshly cooked pasta helps the sauce come together smoothly.
- Keep Stirring: Toss the pasta constantly to evenly coat it in the sauce.
- Add Pasta Water Slowly: You may not need all of it—add a little at a time until the sauce reaches the right consistency.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
omg SO good thankYOU
So quick and easy to make and delicious. thanks!
Lol bacon, garlic, Parmesan???
Guanciale or panchetta if you can’t get Guanciale should be used, not bacon!
Garlic doesn’t go in authentic carbonara!
Pecorino Romano is the right cheese or a mix of pecorino romano and parmigiana reggiano…
Yes, in a traditional pasta carbonara guanciale or pancetta is used (as noted in the Ingredient Notes section). If those are not available, I recommend using bacon – nothing wrong here. For this simple pasta carbonara recipe for one, we use bacon. Bacon is a fantastic substitute! As for garlic, I add garlic to just about everything but definitely can be left out if you’re not a fan.
This was delicious! I doubled the recipe and used some Italian dried salami that I had left over and it was amazing!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the pasta, thank you so much for your feedback.
Thanks for this recipe. This is one of my favorite pasta dinners and there is only me to cook for. Made it tonight with bacon – next time will use pancetta. But that is what I had on hand and it was fantastic. Thanks again for posting.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pasta, Kathi. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Bought your “Cooking for One” book; read your website. Thanks for helping one of the most overlooked groups: The single person unskilled in downsizing recipes that feed a family of six.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to know that you find our recipes helpful.
I’ve asked this question to many friends of mine from Rome, and they all agree that only yolks should be used. Then I managed to find out the scientific reason behind this.
The real challenge with this recipe, which makes the difference between a perfectly made creamy carbonara and just pasta with omelette, lies in temperature control.
As a matter of fact, the problem of keeping the sauce from getting curdled arises when you mix pasta just taken out from water boiling at 100 °C with egg components that coagulate at a much lower temperature. In particular, as anyone having fried an egg knows, egg white coagulates earlier than yolk (protein coagulation temperatures are approx. 60-62 °C for the former, 68-70 °C for the latter).
This means that egg whites are more susceptible to ruin your carbonara, if you can’t manage to rapidly decrease the overall temperature below 60 °C. Since egg whites function is just to provide a more fluid substratum (creaminess and flavour come mostly from yolks), they are usually left out and replaced with starchy pasta water.
So, put yolks only (one per person) in a large bowl and whip them, add pasta al dente without straining it first, using a large fork or kitchen tongs to take it straight from the pot, and then quickly mix them together while adding the remaining ingredients.
In this way, cooking water adhering on the pasta surface will provide both the liquid base for the sauce and enough heat to thicken it, while the mixing will disperse the heat in excess.
Waaaaaay too much pepper, but definitely a good recipe
This recipe was perfect. It made just one portion and was simply easy to do. I used pancetta instead of bacon. Thanks for this great recipe
I don’t understand if take the pasta off the stove, then when do I pour the egg mixture? Looking for details in making this wonderful-looking meal.
Hi Deb,
The egg mixture is poured into the cooked pasta that has been reheated in the skillet (step 4). You don’t want to have the pan on any heat when you pour in the egg because it will cook quickly and possibly scramble.
You’ll need to first cook the pasta in a separate pot; drain the water (except for 1/2 cup) and set it aside. Cook the bacon and garlic in a skillet, remove the bacon and add the cooked pasta to the skillet to reheat and to mix with the bacon fat and garlic. Remove the pan from the heat and then add in the egg mixture and whisk until the eggs thicken.
Hope this helps.
Joanie