Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe for A Crowd

What Makes Spaghetti Carbonara Great for Feeding a Big Group

The Benefits of Making Spaghetti Carbonara for a party are that it is an ideal dish for feeding a large group because it’s quick and easy to make, and you can easily double or triple the recipe with minimal effort.

The creamy sauce and hearty ingredients create a delicious dish that will satisfy everyone in the crowd, especially if you are planning to serve spaghetti for a big family gathering.

But be flexible as what you receive in Europe or in the United States is sometimes considerably different from the classic Italian recipe.

Spaghetti Carbonara Infographic - Recipe Scaling
Spaghetti Carbonara Infographic – Recipe Scaling

Top Tips When Making Spaghetti Carbonara For A Big Group

(1) Start by making sure you have enough spaghetti for the crowd. Measure out 1 cup of spaghetti per person, and double that if you want leftovers. (see our article on how much spaghetti for a crowd)

(2) Use a large pot or Dutch oven to cook the pasta, and make sure have the water boiling well before adding the pasta. 

(3) Do not forget to salt the spaghetti water.

(4) When it comes to the sauce, use high-quality ingredients like freshly grated Parmesan cheese, bacon, and eggs.

(5) When the spaghetti has done cooking, mix in the cheese and egg mixture until everything is well combined and creamy. Do not have the pot on the stovetop as it may overcook the eggs making them scrambled rather than thick and creamy.

Also popular is plain but tasty tomato sauce for spaghetti.

A Scaled Recipe of Spaghetti Carbonara for 4 to 50 People

People4812203050
All Weights in Ounces      
Spaghetti1224366090150
Bacon/Guanciale816244060100
Eggs5913213151
Cheese4812203050
Pepper0.080.160.240.40.61.0
All Weights In Ounces

How To Make Spaghetti Carbonara Authentically For A Crowd

The recipe below is for 20 people.

Step 1:  Using a pork bacon from the cheek (Guanciale in Italy) with higher fat content is great, but if you can not get that, go for seasoned and well-smoked bacon with a reasonable fat layer.

How Much Bacon per Person for Spaghetti Carbonara?

I use 2 oz of (60 g) per person as a rule of thumb – more if you want the smoked bacon taste to come through.

Cook The Bacon Bits
Cook The Bacon Bits

Cut it into little cubes, as seen in the photo.

Step 2:  Sauté it in a skillet with a little olive oil for a foundation. The pig fat should melt (and be utilized later), and the meaty sections will crisp up and become wonderful. Continue to cook until the chunks are golden, nicely brown and crispy.

Step 3:  The eggs are next. This is a hotly discussed aspect for many home cooks and even chefs. But if you read any of the real Italian Cook books they will tell you one egg per person. 

Whisking the Egg and Cheese Mix
Whisking the Egg and Cheese Mix

But I do respect that each kitchen has a “house rule” Some folks utilize the yolks (yellow middle) solely, while others use a combination.

I only use entire eggs. One egg for each participant plus 1 “for the pot” (so for ten people, use 11 eggs).

One of the things I love about this recipe is it scales so easily for lots of people – see the table above I have made below for scaled-up versions from 4 – 50 people.

So, for example, It’s 21 eggs for 20 people. It is a large number of eggs. But that’s what brings the flavor.

Step 4:  Grate in the pecorino (sheep’s cheese). Some people enjoy a combination of Parmigiano plus some pecorino because the pecorino has a more powerful flavor. 

At a pinch, you can also use parmesan cheese as well.

Season with pepper. I find that the cheese and bacon make the saltly enough and I am always looking for ways to cut down my salt intake. So I usually wait until I have made the dish before any final seasoning with salt.

Smash the eggs and combine everything. This will come in handy later.

Spaghetti Ready To Cook
Spaghetti Ready To Cook

Step 5:  Make the pasta.

Spaghetti is the obvious pasta selection.

But Penne, rigatoni, and bucatini may also be used.

The water MUST be really boing hard before you put the pasta in!

Do not put the pasta into luke warm water – you will end up with soggy pasta.

Also, the boiling water treats your pasta well and helps make it “al dente” (= to the teeth), which you want when cooking pasta for a crowd. No one wants soggy pasta.

Season the water. It’s vital because the pasta will be better on its own and will compliment the flavor of every sauce perfectly.

Now Wait.

Each variety of pasta has a different cooking time. It’s generally written on the pack – follow it. It might take anything from 8 to 14 minutes.

There is only one way to know whether you are doing everything correctly- that is to test the timing by cooking a small batch in advance.

Meanwhile, prepare the serving plates – or, in this instance, trays, as remember this carbonara recipe is for a crowd of people – 20 to be exact.

Meanwhile, prepare the serving plates – or, in this instance, trays, as remember this carbonara recipe is for a crowd of people – 20 to be exact.

Line The Tray With Bacon and Lard For Flavor
Line The Tray With Bacon and Lard For Flavor

Step 7:  Take the tray(s) and put some of the cooked pork/bacon plus some of the melted fat – give it a stir.

Then put a few big spoons of the egg mix. This makes the sauce base. Please keep in mind the egg component is still uncooked at this stage.

Step 8:  Remove the pasta from the water and drain. Do this just as it is”al dente,”

The ideal point varies according to personal preference. But if everything is done perfectly, each individual spaghetti should be split or separated, and you won’t have the sticky gluey spaghetti ball that each and every Italian knows is improper and unnatural.

See our specific post on how to handle making spaghetti for a large group.

Mix The Egg Mix In The Tray With The Hot Spaghetti
Mix The Egg Mix In The Tray With The Hot Spaghetti

Final Steps:

Be certain that you do not drain ALL of the cooking water.

It’s salty, gluten-containing, and will help the sauce together and produce a tasty sauce.

Combine the remaining sauce ingredients. eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper to taste, and the remainder of the bacon.

Please keep in mind that this is not done with the pot still on the stovetop, as to much heat may just scramble the eggs.


When you have the big pans or trays like in the photo – The heated pasta (and leftover boiled pasta water) has enough mass and latent heat to “cook” the raw egg sauce to perfection.

You definitely don’t want spaghetti with your omelet, but that’s what occurs if you combine the eggs plus the pasta in the pan while the heat is still on.

See how long you can leave out spaghetti – read more.

We used 60 oz of pasta, 21 eggs, and 20 ounces of grated parmesan cheese. Plus 2.5 lbs of smokey bacon or lardons.

Overall prep time, including everything, is 40 minutes, and that’s it – such as an easy recipe for a big crowd! – Spaghetti bolognese is another great dish for a big family.

Spaghetti Carbonara For A Crowd

"Feed a Crowd with Delicious Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe - Perfect for Your Next Gathering!"
Easy To Scale and Cook
Prep Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: spaghetti carbonara for a crowd
Servings: 15
Calories: 1257kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot
  • 1 tray
  • 1 Bowl
  • 1 wooden spoon

Ingredients

  • 21 eggs
  • 60 oz spaghetti
  • 20 oz cheese
  • 40 oz bacon

Instructions

  • Chop bacon into ¼ inch bit
    Cook The Bacon Bits
  • Sautee Bacon in a Skillet or Pan
  • Break and mix the eggs and grated cheese into a bowl
    Whisking the Egg and Cheese Mix
  • Cook The Spaghetti in hard boiling water with added salt - around 2 teaspoons
  • Put the bacon and some bacon lard into the bottom of a tray. Also add a little bit of the egg mix
    Line The Tray With Bacon and Lard For Flavor
  • Drain the pasta
  • Imeediately put the drained hot pasta into the tray and mix well so the residual heat of the pasta cooks the egg and cheese sauce.
    Mix The Egg Mix In The Tray With The Hot Spaghetti

Nutrition

Calories: 1257kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 90g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 318mg | Sodium: 426mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 667IU | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 2mg

What Kitchen Equipment Do You Need to Make Carbonara for A Crowd

To feed a crowd with a scrumptious spaghetti carbonara, you’ll need a big pot or Dutch oven to boil the pasta, a skillet to fry the bacon and garlic, an extra-large bowl for combining the egg and cheese mixture, and measuring cups and spoons to make sure your ingredients are perfectly measured.

You may also want to get some large serving dishes if you plan on presenting the meal in an attractive manner.

Conclusion

Making this spaghetti carbonara recipe for a crowd is an easy and delicious way to satisfy a large group. By using simple ingredients and following the instructions, you will be able to put together a meal that everyone will love. No matter how many people you’re feeding, this pasta dish is sure to please!