Name: Spaghetti Carbonara
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Pasta
Ingredients: 1/2 pound dried spaghetti; 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, about 4 ounces, cut into small cubes; 3/4 cup diced yellow onion; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Pasta and cooked bacon in a delicious, light sauce, your family is going to be thrilled when you pack this Spaghetti Carbonara for a hot lunch!

It’s a quick and easy dinner that transforms into a fancy lunch!

small metal thermos of spaghetti carbonara

Fancy Lunch Spaghetti Carbonara

Don’t be fooled by the fancy name, this easy pasta dish is made with simple ingredients and will be a new favorite in your meal rotation.

Introducing new foods to your kids at mealtime can present many challenges. If these new meals have ingredients that they know and love, you’ve won half the battle.

Today’s recipe is a combination of two kid-friendly ingredients, spaghetti, and bacon, making this a meal that will surely become a family favorite.

While spaghetti carbonara may seem like a fancy, time-consuming dish, it couldn’t be any easier.

This step-by-step spaghetti carbonara recipe comes together quickly, all in one skillet, and will taste like you slaved away in the kitchen for hours. Leftovers make a great thermos lunch for both kids and adults alike!

While Carbonara Sauce may seem like a fancy, time-consuming recipe, it couldn’t be easier.

How to Meal Prep Spaghetti Carbonara

Almost any recipe can be made ahead, including this spaghetti carbonara. You can prepare it for an easy weeknight dinner and save the leftovers for the next day or use the whole recipe to make a hot thermos lunch the family will enjoy.

I like using meal prep recipes that you can cook once or twice a week and when the recipe is done, divide it into portions inside meal prep containers.

It’s an easy way to knock out two meals in one kitchen session, and hot lunches like this pasta make a nice switch from the usual options.

Wish you could have simple recipes and tips like this in your inbox weekly? And not just recipes, but a done-for-you weekly plan with a completed shopping list and meal-prep sheet!

You’re reading this right. Such a weekly plan exists, and you can grab a sample of the MOMables Classic Meal Plan here.

Packing Spaghetti Carbonara for Lunch

Here’s where I show you how to reheat and pack this spaghetti carbonara for an incredible hot lunch!

Fill a double-insulated thermos with boiling water. Cover with the lid and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add 1 cup water and ¼ cup water to a microwave-safe dish and give the ingredients a stir. The water helps the Parmesan cheese and sauce reconstitute into their former velvety consistency.
Microwave the pasta until it’s very hot (you should not be able to taste it).
Carefully drain the water from the thermos container and transfer the pasta into the thermos.
Top with lid and pack it into a lunch bag.

Watch this quick video to learn more about how to use a thermos for hot lunches!

More Pasta Lunch Ideas

Pasta is one of those foods I can rely on to please even the pickiest of eaters. Here are a few more ways to enjoy pasta for dinner or pack it for lunches.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Print Recipe

Easy Spaghetti Carbonara recipe with bacon made in a skillet that kids will love and leftovers are easy to pack for a hot thermos lunch.

Author: MOMables – Laura Fuentes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4
Category: Dinner
Method: Skillet
Cuisine: Pasta

Ingredients

Units

½ pound dried spaghetti
4 slices of thick-cut bacon, about 4 ounces, cut into small cubes
¾ cup diced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

In a large pot, over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook pasta until al dente. When pasta is ready, reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
In a large skillet, saute bacon over medium-heat high.
When bacon is browned and just beginning to crisp, add garlic and onion. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until bacon is brown and crisp and onions are translucent.
In a separate dish, whisk together eggs, parmesan, and pepper and set aside.
Turn heat to low and add the drained pasta to onion, garlic, and bacon in the skillet. Mix pasta and cooked bacon and pour egg mixture over pasta.
Working quickly, use tongs to toss and combine pasta with egg, bacon and onions. If pasta is too dry, add a tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time, until a creamy consistency is reached. This will create a “sauce”.
Garnish with parsley, black pepper and additional parmesan cheese.