Cheesecake Factory Pasta Carbonara Copycat is a rich and creamy pasta made with crispy bacon, Parmesan cheese, garlic, eggs, and heavy cream. Tender pasta is coated in the creamy Parmesan sauce with plenty of smoky bacon in every bite.
Carbonara is one of those pasta dishes I have a hard time passing up when I see it on a restaurant menu. Making this Cheesecake Factory-inspired version at home gives me those creamy, cheesy flavors without having to go out to dinner.
Why I Love This Recipe 💙
About the Ingredients ⭐
- Bacon: Thick-cut bacon adds smoky flavor. Pancetta can also be used.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic works best, but garlic powder can be used. Onions: Finely chop so they blend into the sauce.
- Pasta: Spaghetti or fettuccine both work well.
- Heavy Cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the sauce.
- Eggs: Use room-temperature eggs and beat them before adding.
- Water: Needed for the Instant Pot method.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts best and adds plenty of flavor.
- Salt & Pepper: Season to taste.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Instant Pot Pasta Carbonara
1 – Cook Bacon: Sauté the bacon in the Instant Pot until crispy. Remove and set aside.
2 – Sauté: Cook the onion and garlic in the bacon grease until softened.
3 – Deglaze: Pour in the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
4 – Add Pasta: Add the pasta to the Instant Pot. Do not stir.
5 – Pressure Cook: Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, then quick release. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
6 – Make Sauce: Whisk together the eggs and Parmesan cheese.
8 – Finish: Stir in half of the crispy bacon and top with the remaining bacon and Parmesan. 🍝🥓
Tips I Found Helpful 💙
- Deglaze the pot: After cooking the bacon, onion, and garlic, add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom to help prevent a Burn notice.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan: It melts more smoothly into the sauce than pre-shredded cheese.
- Use room-temperature eggs: They blend more easily into the hot pasta.
- Work quickly: Add the egg mixture while the pasta is still hot so the heat creates a creamy sauce.
- Save the pasta water: If the carbonara is too thick, add a little reserved pasta water until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Don’t skip the bacon grease: Cooking the onion and garlic in it adds lots of flavor to the carbonara.
Questions Readers Ask Most
More Pasta Recipes I Love 💙
Pasta Carbonara Cheesecake Factory
Creamy Pasta Carbonara with crispy bacon, Parmesan, garlic, and a rich homemade sauce.
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick bacon
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 small onion
- 16 oz spaghetti or fettuccini
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 4 cups water
- 8 oz parm cheese
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until softened.
- Pour in the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
- Add the pasta to the Instant Pot. Do not stir.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Pressure cook on High for 4 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together the eggs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.
- When the cooking time is complete, carefully perform a quick release. Drain any excess water, reserving about 1 cup if needed for the sauce.
- Immediately add the egg and Parmesan mixture and heavy cream to the hot pasta. Toss quickly until the pasta is creamy and well coated.
- Stir in half of the cooked bacon. Top with the remaining bacon and additional Parmesan cheese before serving.
Stovetop Directions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the skillet.
- Add the onions and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until tender and translucent.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together the eggs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.
- Add the reserved pasta water to the skillet with the onions and garlic.
- Add the hot, drained pasta to the skillet. Quickly add the egg and Parmesan mixture and heavy cream, tossing continuously until the pasta is creamy and well coated.
- Stir in half of the cooked bacon.
- Top with the remaining bacon and additional Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
Freshly grated Parmesan melts best for a smooth, creamy sauce. Add the egg mixture while the pasta is still hot and toss quickly. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 1/2 CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 392Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 411mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 20g
So you are tossing the pasta in 3 raw eggs?
Yes 🙂 It cooks with the hot pasta and tastes great no worries 🙂
I get VERY ill whenever I have raw egg or undercooked eggs. Will the egg actually cook when mixed with the hot pasta? I can’t risk it if not. Thanks
yes they are safe 🙂
I’ll have to try this version, I’ve never made it with heavy cream.
This sounds good…Hope to try this next.
So to make Chicken carbonara just add pieces of cooked chicken?
I just added a bit of pepper as the pancetta supplied enough salt for those watching their sodium intake. great meal with garlic bread on the side. Thank you Adventures of a Nurse.
Do you put the bacon back in while pressing cooking or do you put it in at the end?
stir in at the end
Grated parm or fresh? I’d put fresh on top, but what about the rest?
In my experience, the grated stuff in the can won’t melt properly into sauces, it tends to clump. But if you don’t want to grate that much parm, just buy the fresh grated stuff in the deli or cheese aisle.
We go through a lot of grated parm, so we buy the freshly grated Cello brand from Costco to save money. It’s with the rest of the refrigerated cheese. We fill a quart mason jar to keep in the fridge and store the rest in the freezer. It’ll keep for months.
Did you drain the pasta?
There’s no need. Pasta cooked in the IP with 1 cup liquid per 4-5 ounces (by weight) of pasta is just right. Your sauces will thicken on standing for a minute. I use this ratio for all of my IP pasta recipes. Just weigh the pasta and you won’t go wrong.
Is that 2 or 4c water for the pasta?
Pretty tasty, very easy to do. I thought it may need more cream
as it was drier than I’m used to, but it was definitely good.
Yummy. I cut up some ham lunch meat and sauteed it in a little olive oil in place of the bacon. Probably kinda trashy but it tastes great! Thanks!
This says chicken carbonara and that was what I was looking for but there is no chicken in this recipe please help as to how much chicken and when to put in please
it says pasta carbonara not chicken 🙂
Can you use penne pasta and is the cook time the same.
Yes
Same time
Delicious!
This recipe was super delicious and easy to make changes to if you wish. I left out the peas, used shallot instead of onion, and did a mix of regular parm with Parmigiano-Reggiano. This recipe was the perfect amount of creaminess. My new go-to recipe for carbonara.
Making this carbonara as we speak.. I added in some sneaky chopped fresh baby spinach & some chicken breast to the onion & bacon.. smells awesome
Made this last night. It was delicious. We used spaghetti not fettucine but it was pretty darned yummy. I did not drain the pasta; it helped the sauce. And I did turn “saute” mode on at the end to heat the eggs through. Thanks for a great, easy recipe.