Pasta Carbonara Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipe

This pasta carbonara recipe tastes just like the one from Cheesecake Factory. The pasta is coated in an irresistible velvety garlic parmesan cream sauce with tender green peas and crispy bacon bits. It’s an easy and indulgent weeknight dinner option, ready in 30 minutes or less!

 

THE BEST PASTA CARBONARA RECIPE

Now, I don’t know about you, but I think the best pasta at Cheesecake Factory is their pasta carbonara.

It’s got that indulgent creamy and cheesy sauce with freshness from the green peas and crispy bacon sprinkled throughout.

I mean, how can you not love it?

However, the only downside about ordering the pasta carbonara from Cheesecake Factory is that the restaurant is always soooo busy, and, let's be honest, it's kind of pricy too.

So, that's why I came up with this copycat Cheesecake Factory pasta carbonara.

And, honestly, I think it’s every bit as delicious as the restaurant’s version! 

This pasta carbonara recipe has all the creamy, bacony, garlicky deliciousness of the one from Cheesecake Factory. Plus, it's made in just 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.

Also, it makes enough for 6 servings - or 4 generous servings - so you can get a lot more pasta for a lot less than you would spend at the restaurant!

It’s a win-win all around.

And to complete the meal, you can make this easy cheesy bread or garlic bread.

Oh, and if you want to try another Cheesecake Factory recipe, you have to make this miso salmon next!

INGREDIENTS

Ok, so all the ingredients for this pasta carbonara Cheesecake Factory recipe are simple pantry and freezer staples. You’ll only need about ten ingredients, and anything you don’t already have is just a quick grocery store run away.

With that said, here’s everything you’ll need for this Cheesecake Factory pasta carbonara recipe:

• 8 ounces dried Spaghetti
• 1 cup frozen Peas
• 4 slices Bacon
• 2 tablespoons Butter divided
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• One 12-ounce can Evaporated Milk
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian Parsley
• Grated Parmesan Cheese to serve
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
  

By the way, you can use a lot of the same ingredients to make this Olive Garden chicken and shrimp carbonara so don’t forget to check that out next!

HOW TO MAKE PASTA CARBONARA LIKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

As I mentioned earlier, you can make this bacon carbonara in just 30 minutes. You can even cut that time down to 20 minutes if you make the pasta and sauce at the same time.

Also, I’ve included some instructions on how to make this pasta with extra chicken. It’ll only take about 5 minutes of prep and won’t add much to the total cooking time of this recipe.

Ok, let’s get cooking!

STEP 1: PREP THE PASTA, PEAS, AND BACON

First, get a large pot of water boiling, add a good amount of salt (about 1 ½ teaspoons per liter of water), and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Then, 5 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the frozen peas to the water.

By the way, make sure to reserve about a cup of the pasta water for later, and then drain the pasta and peas - you can set them aside for later at this point.

Next, cook the bacon according to the package directions until it's as crispy as you want. Then, dry the cooked bacon on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil.

Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, gently crush it into bite-sized pieces and set them aside.

STEP 2: MAKE THE CREAM SAUCE

Now, add the butter to a small saucepan and melt it over medium heat. When the butter is hot and fully melted, add the garlic, and cook it for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Then, to that, whisk in the parmesan cheese and flour until combined, getting rid of any flour lumps. Now slowly mix in the evaporated milk and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, uncovered, until thick and creamy.

STEP 3: COMBINE EVERYTHING

So, once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in the crispy bacon pieces.

Then, in a large bowl, place the drained spaghetti and peas. Now pour the carbonara sauce and the reserved pasta water over them, and toss everything gently to combine.

Also, if necessary, you can thin the sauce by adding the rest of the reserved pasta water a little bit at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.

Finally, taste the pasta and add salt and pepper as needed.

Then, serve this pasta carbonara Cheesecake Factory dish with a sprinkle of snipped fresh parsley, and as much extra Parmesan as you want!

OPTIONAL: PASTA CARBONARA WITH CHICKEN

If you want to make this pasta carbonara recipe with an extra chicken option - like how they make it at Cheesecake Factory - you can start this speedy air fryer frozen chicken breast recipe before making the pasta.

This juicy chicken breast recipe starts from frozen and takes just 20 minutes of hands-off cooking, so it should finish around the same time as the pasta.

Then, just chop the chicken breast into cubes and mix it into the pasta carbonara before serving!

Or, to save even more time, you can use a rotisserie chicken and shred it, then add it to the pasta when you combine all of the ingredients.

STORING LEFTOVER PASTA CARBONARA

Again, this Cheesecake Factory pasta carbonara recipe makes a ton of pasta - 4 to 6  servings worth.

And it’s a pretty rich and hearty dish so you’ll probably have enough leftovers for a couple of work lunches the next day.

So, to store the leftover pasta, let it cool to room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container. Then, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

And if you want to reheat the pasta, there are multiple ways that work great. My favorite is putting it on the stovetop with a touch of oil. It warms up the dish and slightly crisps up the noodles, similar to this fried spaghetti recipe.

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

And that’s how to make Cheesecake Factory pasta carbonara!

This recipe is easy enough to make for a quick weeknight dinner but makes the most satisfying restaurant-quality pasta.

This bacon carbonara is always a huge hit at dinner and I get requests to make it all the time from both family and friends. Of course, I’m always happy to oblige because this recipe is so simple to make!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this pasta carbonara Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe as much as I do.

Don’t forget to leave a comment below if you make it and let me know what you think.

Also, be sure to check out our Youtube channel for more tasty recipes like this!

MORE COPYCAT RECIPES FROM RESTAURANTS

If you liked this recipe, we have a ton of different recipes that are just as delicious made at home as they are in the restaurant!

Give one of these a try next:

• Cheesecake Factory truffle honey chicken
• Cheesecake Factory Thai lime coconut chicken
• Olive Garden giant cheese stuffed shells
• Olive Garden crispy chicken fritta
• Olive Garden asiago tortelloni
• Ruth Chris stuffed chicken breast
• Applebees Bourbon chicken & shrimp

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