Sometimes the most satisfying meals come from the simplest ingredients, and this creamy pasta with egg and cheese proves exactly that. This vegetarian twist on classic carbonara transforms humble pantry staples into a restaurant-quality dish that’s ready in just 15 minutes. The silky sauce forms naturally when hot pasta meets beaten eggs and parmesan, creating pure Italian comfort food magic without any cream or complicated techniques.
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What makes pasta with egg and cheese so good?
If the idea of a cheesy, eggy pasta seems familiar, that’s for good reason. It’s a simplified twist on the famous Italian pasta preparation, spaghetti carbonara, just without the meat.
Still, it enjoys the intense creaminess and unique flavor that results from the merging of freshly grated parmesan, lusciously cooked eggs, and pungent garlic. Pasta is the perfect vehicle for this simple sauce, allowing each ingredient to shine.
Why This Recipe Works
The secret lies in combining hot, freshly drained pasta with the egg and cheese mixture. The residual heat from the pasta gently cooks the eggs while the starchy pasta water helps create a silky, emulsified sauce. This method eliminates the risk of scrambled eggs while achieving the luxurious creaminess that makes carbonara so beloved.
Ingredients
The process for making this garlicky, eggy pasta is simple. In fact, most of the ingredients are right in the name!
- Pasta: Creates the foundation, carrying sauce while providing a satisfying texture
- Large eggs: Whole eggs provides richness and create a creamy sauce base
- Parmesan: Adds sharp, salty flavor and helps thicken the sauce
- Garlic: Provides aromatic base and depth of flavor
- Extra Virgin Olive oil: Prevents sticking and adds richness
- Kosher Salt/pepper: Enhances all other flavors while adding complexity
How to make pasta with egg and cheese
Making this recipe involves just a few steps and a few minutes of active cooking.
- First, boil water in a large pot of salted water, and prepare your pasta al dente, according to the directions on the box.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic, and cook for a few seconds.
- Use a whisk to beat the eggs and cheese.
- Add the beaten eggs and cheese to the skillet. The eggs will start to cook but will finish when you add the pasta, with the residual heat of the pasta.
- Toss together drained cooked pasta and egg mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Season with salt and black pepper to your taste.
- Serve the hot pasta in a pasta bowl.
Recipe variations
The simplicity of this deliciously savory recipe makes it easy to tweak the dish to your taste and available ingredients.
Some chopped, cooked pancetta or bacon provides a perfect salty addition to make it an even more substantial meal. Vegetarians can opt for sauteed mushrooms instead.
Meanwhile, a sprinkling of herbs like fresh parsley or oregano can also brighten up the dish and create a more complex flavor.
Don’t forget to scour your refrigerator, too! Lots of leftovers, from veggies to remaining pieces of meat, can be quickly integrated into this tasty, customizable recipe.
For creamy pasta, add a little heavy cream.
What goes well with garlicky pasta with egg and cheese
Make it a full Italian-inspired meal with easy sides like garlic bread, doubling down on the comforting carbs and garlicky flavors. On the other hand, blanched broccoli or roasted asparagus can provide a freshness that complements the rich creaminess of the pasta. A simple, fresh salad can also work for this purpose.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Freezing: Not recommended, as egg-based sauces don’t freeze well and can become grainy when thawed.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for 3-4 days. Note that the sauce may separate slightly when chilled.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat, adding splash of pasta water or olive oil to restore creaminess. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between.
Love Quick and Easy Pasta Meals? Check out these recipes:
- One Pot Pasta
- Chicken Alfredo Fusilli
- Pasta with Artichokes
- Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
- Tex Mex Taco Spaghetti Recipe
- Spaghettios and Meatballs
- Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- Easy Pasta Primavera
- Stuffed Manicotti
- Meatless Spaghetti Pie
More Vegetarian Recipes
Be sure to look at more of my easy pasta dishes and tasty vegetarian recipes.
Creamy Italian Pasta with Egg & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pasta
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the pasta onto boil in plenty of salted water.
- While your pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and sauté just for a moment (do not overcook).
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.
- Remove the skillet from the stove. Add the pasta, eggs, and cheese to the frying pan.
- Stir and mix well. The residual heat will cook the eggs. The cheese will melt, and the eggs will make a thick sauce if you feel the sauce is too thick, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water.
Video
Notes
- 🍝 Pasta Water: Save 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining – it’s liquid gold for adjusting sauce consistency.
- 🥚 Egg Safety: Never add eggs to screaming hot pasta – let it cool slightly to prevent scrambling while maintaining creaminess.
- 🧀 Cheese Wisdom: Grate fresh and at room temperature for the smoothest sauce integration.
As all have said, it’s fast, easy, and good. And as many have said, my eggs curdled, 2nd time in a row, I’ll try turning off the heat and waiting a bit longer next time before adding the eggs,
Easy. Fast. Delicious.
Thank you.
Hi I was wondering how would you reheat this
I don’t think this would reheat well at all. I think the egg has the potential to turn into scrambled eggs.
This is a quick , easy and delicious meal. I did double all ingredients since my 3 grandson’s live with me and then added a little bit more parmesan cheese.it came out great. I will definitely be making it again and again.
The first time I had pesto was also the only time I had fresh pesto from the blender on spaghetti with what looked like egg drop solids and crushed red pepper stuck to it. Needless to say, of all the restaurants, no matter how pretentious, only one had pesto fresh enough to come close, and I let them know it! On the other hand, my attempt to drop egg into the boiling pasta water was disappointing. The second/alternative recipe sounds promising, given that the hot pasta cooks the raw eggs in place, rather than cooking the ahead of time. Skipping the cheese would seem even closer to reproducing this gourmet meal.
Is this supposed to have little bits of scrambled eggs in pasta or is it supposed to be smooth and cream. I don’t think it’s curdling. I’ve made it twice and it’s come out that way and tasted delicious. But then, I tried another recipe for comparison that used two additional egg yolks and it was smooth but didn’t taste as good as this recipe.
Ideally, it should be smooth, without the eggs becoming curds.
I did not get a smooth sauce at all but it was still tasty( and i needed to use some eggs)
To get that smooth consistency you may want to turn down the heat a bit more than where you had it. I have seen some people make this by turning off the heat, adding the pasta to the pan, and then adding the eggs. The heat of the hot pasta can cook the eggs.
what a simple and easy recipe!
I liked this, I added a few pea pods.
This was a cheap and decent meal.
I’ve been looking for this pasta recipe. I read in a book of Frank Sinatra, Sr. that one method he cooked his own pasta was with this sauce. I just forgot what to do with the egg to prevent it from curdling. Now I remember to stir the egg immediately with the hot pasta.
This was one of Frank Sinatra’s favorite to whip up after a late night!
Wow, I had no idea that he enjoyed this dish too! It is so tasty, and so easy to put together.
I just made this for dinner along with some garlic bread and blanched Brocholli for sides. Everyone loved it and infact were fighting for more. I added some dried herbs too. Thanks for such a simple recipe.
my grandfather and father made this dish with one exception. The eggs were dropped whole into the hot pasta and the pasta was wstirred. This made a thin sauce on the pasta. They also addec crushed red peppers, parsley and oregano
Yum! I like to do this with either a raw egg opened on top of the just out of the pot hot pasta or a poched egg. Anyway you do it, it’s just plain good!
Yum, an almost-carbonara (a food I adore so much I should really have it tattooed somewhere on my person). I love this with sauteed mushrooms as an add-on too.