Delight in the creamy allure of Olive Garden Carbonara, an Italian masterpiece on a plate! A velvety white sauce enriched with luxurious Fontina cheese reaches new culinary heights with the addition of crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, and fragrant scallions. This magnificent sauce is tossed with pasta and crowned with Parmesan cheese. Every forkful promises a harmonious blend of textures and flavors.
Olive Garden Carbonara
Olive Garden is known for its delicious Italian-style food. While it isn’t entirely authentic Italian food, it is made fresh every day, and it tastes completely delicious.
One of the most popular pasta dishes they serve is their take on Spaghetti Carbonara. Their version of the sauce differs from the traditional Italian version, as this one is a creamy sauce enhanced by bacon and mushrooms. It is a lot like Alfredo Sauce but with an extra kick.
Quick and Easy Pasta Dinner
Best of all this dinner takes about 20 minutes or so to prepare. You can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
This dish is perfect for dinner on a weeknight because it can be put together quickly, and it is hearty enough to make a good solid meal.
To make this a complete meal I like to serve this up with a garden salad and perhaps some garlic bread.
Recipe Ingredients
Olive Garden Spaghetti Carbonara is made with very basic ingredients. So be assured that you can find the ingredients you will need to recreate this dish at home. You don’t need to worry about finding anything that is too exotic.
Here’s a list of what you need to prepare this rich carbonara sauce and pasta dish:
All-purpose flour
Butter
Milk
Ground black pepper
Salt
Thick cut bacon
Olive oil
Sliced fresh mushrooms
Scallions
Spaghetti or other long pasta such as fettuccine or angel hair.
Fresh parsley
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Fontina cheese
How to Make Olive Garden Carbonara
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Add milk, salt, and pepper to the pan. Whisk until the mixture barely comes to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking until the sauce thickens.
Add the Fontina cheese into the sauce and stir until it melts into the sauce. Keep warm.
Cook bacon until crispy, drain, and into small pieces.
Add bacon to the sauce.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add sliced mushrooms and minced scallions and sauté until mushrooms have softened.
Add the mushrooms and scallions to the sauce.
Cook spaghetti according to the package directions, drain it well, and add it to the sauce.
Add parsley to the sauce.
Stir everything together and transfer it to a serving dish.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley all over the top and serve it immediately.
If you want to add a little crunch, top it with some toasted panko bread crumbs.
What to serve with Olive Garden spaghetti carbonara
Want to serve more than a bowl of pasta? Here are three ideas for dishes to accompany your carbonara.
Insalata Caprese: A simple Italian salad made from fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. The light and refreshing taste of the salad contrasts nicely with the richness of the Carbonara.
Garlic Bread or Bruschetta: Garlic bread is a great side dish to sop up the creamy Carbonara sauce. Alternatively, bruschetta topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic offers a crunchy texture and new flavors that can be a nice contrast to the creaminess of the pasta.
Roasted Vegetables: You can roast vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, asparagus, or broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper. These roasted vegetables can provide a slightly charred flavor and a change in texture that complements the smooth and creamy sauce of the Carbonara.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store your leftover pasta with carbonara sauce in an airtight container in your fridge. It will last up to three days. If you know you won’t consume all the pasta carbonara in one sitting, store the pasta and sauce in separate containers.
If stored separately, reheat the sauce in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Heat the sauce gently and slowly. You may want to add a bit more milk or cream. Add the pasta and toss to combine.
If stored combined, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in 30-second increments until heated through, stirring between each increment. You may need to add a little milk, half and half, or heavy cream if it is dry because the pasta has soaked up the sauce.
I hope you give this recipe a try soon. Pasta carbonara is always on my shortlist of recipe ideas because the ingredients are easy to find. And this recipe can be made and put on the dinner table in a very short time.
More Olive Garden Copycat Recipes
Favorite Italian Recipes
Check out more of my easy Italian recipes and the best Olive Garden recipes here on CopyKat!
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