Spaghetti With Fried Eggs

Spaghetti With Fried Eggs
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(5,338)
Notes
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Here's a quick and delicious pasta dish to make when you have little time, and even less food in the house. All you need is a box of spaghetti, four eggs, olive oil and garlic (Parmesan is a delicious, but optional, addition).

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; Pasta From the Pantry

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Ingredients

Yield:2 or 3 servings
  • Salt
  • ½pound thin spaghetti
  • 6tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard
  • 2large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
  • 4eggs
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)

607 calories; 34 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 381 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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

  2. Step 2

    Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

  3. Step 3

    Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.

Ratings

5 out of 5
5,338 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

While pasta is cooking, mix raw egg in a bowl with cheese and black pepper until whites and yolks are mixed, cook bacon in strips or cubes in a frying pan. When pasta is ready mix everything together in another bowl (not a hot one) and mix well. If you like you can add more cheese. This is "Pasta alla carbonara". Very popular in Italy. In my recipe the egg is added raw, and it gets slightly cooked by the contact with hot pasta.

I've been making this for years and have discovered you get a better result by separating the eggs, cooking only the whites, then adding the raw yolks at the end. Whites get fully cooked, and raw yolks better coat the pasta. I don't find the cheese to be necessary. My favored pasta is Manischewitz extra-wide egg noodles.

any time pasta (macaroni, no matter the shape, when I was growing up) is involved, it's delicious. Period. Pasta and wet cement. Pasta and dried leaves.

sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs, too....

This is not carbonara. It is easier and more straightforward. It's an emergency dish, one you do when you have no time or special food in your fridge, such as pancetta and pecorino.
Don't do it for more than 3 people, or it won't work. Use thick spaghetti, cut the garlic thinly, fry it gently and let it in the pan, keep the yolk liquid, add a bit of salt and lots of pepper. Amazing, thanks for the recipe

What is this thing you call "leftover pasta"?!?

:)

I was home alone and feeling sorry for myself and this recipe made the world right again. I had a tin of anchovies open so added one to the oil, along with some green onions that were wilting in the frig and a dash of red pepper flakes. Delicious and comforting. Next time I feel a funk coming on I'll reach for this recipe again.

Made this for years for my little egg loving son - to the point of intentionally setting aside dinner pasta for the next morning. Why make it complicated? Throw leftover pasta in skillet with a little heated oil (a tiny bit of water helps if spaghetti is stuck together, as another commented noted), crack your eggs into the skillet, swirl it around a bit, add cheese of choice. Done. Delish. No garlic for breakfast at my house, but that's just me. Dinner's a different matter.

You can also simply cook pasta, drain it, then stir in an egg. This results in a creamy egg coating over the pasta. The heat of the pasta alone will completely cook the egg. I usually grind a bunch of fresh pepper on top. Parmesan if you have it is a great addition as is a little heavy cream.

It takes a little practice to time the eggs so they're not overcooked before adding to the pasta, but it's a favorite and last-minute dinner standby in my house. But, I don't understand why you'd toss out the garlic! Add it to the dish and it just adds more flavor.

Easy and very good. We added some chopped tomatoes, capers, chopped green olives and a little soprasetta to the pan before we fried the eggs.

Great as-is or with substitutions/embellishments. Two things I like to do whether I am embellishing or not are: (1) add a pinch of Italian seasoning, which I always have on hand; and (2) drain the pasta only slightly or add back in some pasta water to make the dish a bit saucy. I put everything back in the pot I cooked the pasta in, rather than add the pasta to the eggs in the skillet.

I like it best with addition of red pepper flakes.

You can also simply cook pasta, drain it, then stir in an egg. This results in a creamy egg coating over the pasta. The heat of the pasta alone will completely cook the egg. I usually grind a bunch of fresh pepper on top. Parmesan if you have it is a great addition as is a little heavy cream.

I like to add a handful or two of baby spinach, chopped with a couple of scallions, right as the eggs are going to come out of the skillet.

Made as directed -- not trying to turn it into carbonara, per comments -- and it was excellent. Used thin spaghetti for "fluffier" mouthfeel, included cheese (necessary, IMO). Timing on eggs a bit tricky, to have them end at the same time as pasta and still be runny. Did a quick over-easy to get the raw white on the top (around yolk) to cook. Finished in fry pan (for drier texture) with a splash of pasta water and generous dusting of cheese and pepper, and drizzle raw olive oil. Fab!

I add a cup of cooked fresh or defrosted frozen spinach 30 seconds after tossing the pasta with eggs and oil. It adds flavor and tang, and adds another texture.

Such basic ingredients and yet utterly delicious. I thought it needed salt to balance out the richness, which is odd for me to say when I'm the one in my family often saying there's too much salt. It was also a little dry, but I eyeball the oil and may have used too little. Anyway, this will definitely be added to my repertoire as a weekend lunch or quick dinner in a pinch. Oh my goodness, I can't stop eating it...

I grew up on pastina, made it for my children, who still ask me to make it for them now that they're adults. The Ultimate Comfort Food... Add a small pasta (acini di pepe, orzo, alphabets, etc) to salted boiling water. When al dente, pour off excess water, leaving about 2 inches. Whisk in a couple of eggs. When just cooked (don't overcook) remove from heat & serve immediately. Add salt and pepper as needed. It will thicken as it sits. Just add boiling water to the leftovers.

Add marinated artichoke hearts to the oil with the eggs

I laid the kale on the counter and brought a small fan in and let it run for an hour or two, and then the kale was dry

I love this recipe. It's the perfect comfort food on days when I'm short on time to cook a meal. I serve it with a cold tomato salad. The family loves it.

Chili crisp is an AMAZING addition to this!

I would recommend leaving the garlic in (or at least some of it) and I always top with fresh parsley - adds a bit of colour and flavour!

So, I take it the garlic isn't added, but used to flavor the oil?

I used gluten free egg fettuccine which cooked in 3 minutes. Added the garlic to the oil and the noodles as soon as the garlic started to change color. Scrambled the eggs slightly and mixed into the noodles. Some salt and pepper and then grated parmesan and thinly sliced green onions. Oh. My. Had to force myself to stop eating. Yum.,

I add hot sauce (red hot) and parm after serving it, and while cooking the egg season with a bit of MSG and cayenne pepper. So flavorful and deep but probably one of the easiest dishes to cook up and very filling!

What happens to the garlic? Did you (gasp!) discard??? Or (ahhh...) add back as a topping? I think we all know the correct answer here.

I love this meal. Super quick, especially if you use fresh pasta, which cooks in 2-5 minutes. It’s so versatile. You can use whatever noodles you have on hand, including soba, spinach, and other flavors. You can add some browned bacon, ham, guanciale, or other for a fake carbonara. I also confess to eating leftovers for breakfast…if there are leftovers, which isn’t often!

So yummy! I reserved yolks and started cooking whites first, then added pasta, poured yolks on top, (turned stove off), and quickly stirred everything while breaking up whites and preventing yolks from clumping - to keep smooth and creamy. Tasted like a good carbonara because whites were cooked and not throwing off the flavour of yolks. I forgot to add the remaining olive oil before whites so dumped a bit in after yolks, and a bit of pasta water. Will make again!

I added a touch of basil oil to the finished product. Delish!

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