Skillet Pasta With Bacon and Eggs
Published March 5, 2024
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4slices bacon, thinly sliced
- 1cup orzo
- Salt and pepper
- 2¾cups chicken stock or water, plus more as necessary
- ⅔cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 4large eggs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
442 calories; 24 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 819 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a large Dutch oven or skillet (preferably nonstick) with a cover, heat the bacon over medium. Stir occasionally until golden and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the bacon to a plate. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
- Step 2
Add the orzo and a few generous grindings of pepper to the pot. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits from the pot. (If you’re using water, add a pinch of salt.) Simmer, stirring often, until the orzo is al dente, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the Parmesan in big handfuls and stir until melted. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. At this point, you want the pasta loose like a stew; if it’s dry, stir in ¼ cup stock or water.
- Step 4
Crack the eggs into the pasta, spacing them apart so they don’t touch, then cover and cook until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 5
Top the pasta with the bacon and more Parmesan and pepper, then spoon into bowls. As you eat, break up the egg yolk and stir it into the pasta until creamy.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Debjeb
My parents had to save money in the 1950’s so occasionally our dinner was “spaghetti and eggs”, no bacon! LEFTOVER spaghetti was browned in the frying pan with a small amount of butter. The eggs were slightly beaten and added to the mixture. When cooked, it was served for dinner with ketchup on the side. Over the years, I have indulged in this delicious meal with fond memories of our little apartment in Queens, and seen similar “gourmet” copycat recipes for lavish brunches. Ha!
Rosa
I'm vegetarian so I subbed the bacon for butter and an onion and it was still SO GOOD! Such a good weeknight pantry dinner.
David S
I smiled to myself when I read the line about how difficult carbonara sauce is to make - I've used Ruth Reichl's recipe for 10+ years and never had a problem, but I have to admit I love the idea of this recipe limiting it to one pot and using orzo. I would favor adding some garlic (as Reichl does) and cooking for a min or 2 before adding broth. Can't wait to try!
Debra
Step 4 I turned off the stove then back on after eggs added. (I used 6 eggs … no problem!) Wow what a great recipe! Thx Ali!
Melissa
Loved this! I scaled it down for one person without any trouble (used an 8-inch skillet), added red pepper instead of black pepper toward the end, and had it for breakfast because I couldn't wait for dinner or lunch.
Sharon
Ruth: vegans don't use butter (or anything "meat" made, including eggs); but vegetarians do.
Harvey
This sounds delish! Being that one of my fav combos is the smell of bacon and onion, I will probably small dice a half of onion and saute in the bacon fat before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. Can't wait to try this!
Barbara
I see there are questions about Orzo substitutes: Acini Pepe Ditalini Farfaline - tiny bowtie pasta. Most of these are store available near me, anyway - Ronzoni, Barilla, and De Cecco pasta brands. Barilla has a website for a pasta shape locator.
John M.
I assume it is as there is no instruction to turn off the stove as is usual in most recipes.
Fred
Can make this kosher by substituting lox for bacon and vegetable broth for chicken broth.
AKMom
I'd use no or low sodium chicken stock, and skip the added salt because both the bacon and parm should have enough sodium to flavor this dish.
Kevin Kruger
Use about 3 cups cooked orzo, more or less. Cook the bacon as noted and remove to a plate. Remove some of the fat. Stir in the leftover orzo along with 1/2 cup chicken stock (or salted water) and heat, stirring often, until the orzo is hot. Adjust liquid so that it's stew-y, if needed, then add the part and continue with the recipe.
Vickie
I might try this with some almost naked cooked spaghetti that I made last night instead of orzo. Like Debjeb we often had Spaghetti Eggs when we were growing up. It was one of my Dad's favorite things to make. He would start cooking leftover spaghetti in a skillet and then make holes to put the eggs in. I still love to make this!
Jules
Barilla, which should be readily available, makes a chickpea orzo.
HS
where do you live? every safeway or kroger I've been to has orzo.
Amanda
After cooking the bacon, I recommend saving off the grease and then deglazing the pan. Otherwise the little brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan may burn while toasting the orzo, thus resulting in a burned flavor throughout once adding the broth.
Susan in Seattle
This dish is great for one person portioned down to a quarter of the ingredients, cooked in an 8 inch skillet. I found the egg cooked perfectly in a little less than 2-1/2 minutes. Rich and decadent!
Hayes
I only had penne, so I used pre-cooked rice instead of pasta, and it turned out pretty well, I think!!
turn off stove??
Was I supposed to turn off the stove once the eggs were in? I had really high hopes for this recipe based on the reviews, but after following the recipe it all stuck to the bottom, the eggs over cooked and it was watery on top. So disappointed.
Paul
Great recipe! We added some green onions (white parts) before toasting the orzo and then the green part of the onions as a garnish. It gave it some color and added some nice flavor. Very tasty!
Kristin R.
Delicious! Everyone in the family loved it. I used turkey bacon and added a big spoonful of butter to make up for the bacon fat.
Linda S.
Melissa, I’d love to know how you scaled this down for one person. It sounds so good but I live by myself so the full recipe would be way too much for me. TIA.
Emma
Great recipe! If you're not into the sunny side up/runny yolk thing, you can always take more of the traditional carbonara route and whisk the eggs into the parmesan - then whisk cheese-egg mixture into the pasta after tempering with a little pasta water. Makes a delicious creamy sauce!
macaronbaker
Mine came out very soupy. I’ll just reduce the amount of stock next time. It was very tasty though!
Nathan E
Great fun, recipe. Kids loved mixing up the eggs in their bowls. Will be more careful next time with my sock, which I didn’t taste before adding and the dish ended up being VERY salty. Great recipe
kflo
Too much liquid- start with 1 3/4 to start!
kflo
Too much liquid- start with less than 2 c and add as needed
Hungry in Seattle
Excited about this recipe though I think it was a bit more soupy at the stage that the eggs were added. Putting it back on the burner (low) to see if it will cook down a bit without over cooking the eggs …
John
Every Italian just lost his/her mind in bewilderment. This is so odd, so seriously un-Italian that I don't understand why one doesn't just make real carbonara?
Sara
This was a very light dinner for four people. Delicious, though. Will double next time.
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