This is a creamy pork pasta built on a butter-milk-Parmesan sauce rather than the traditional raw-egg emulsion — which makes it more forgiving and easier to pull off on a weeknight. Ground pork and a couple of bacon slices do the heavy lifting on flavor, and everything else is likely already in your kitchen. At 801 calories a serving, it earns the word filling.
Before you start
The sauce is a simple roux-based white sauce, and the one thing that will wreck it is heat that’s too high. Melt the butter gently, whisk the flour in fully before adding the milk, and keep stirring — lumps form fast if you walk away. The other thing worth knowing: your pasta pot does double duty here, so use something large from the start. Once the spaghetti is cooked and drained, the sauce, meat, and pasta all come together in that same pot, which saves you a pan and keeps everything warm longer.
If something goes sideways
- Sauce is lumpy: Take the pan off the heat and whisk hard. If lumps won’t smooth out, push the sauce through a fine sieve — it takes 30 seconds and fixes it completely.
- Sauce is too thick once the pasta goes in: Add a splash of the pasta cooking water, a tablespoon at a time. The starch in that water also helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Ground pork looks pale and steamed rather than browned: The pan was too crowded or not hot enough. Spread the meat out, don’t stir for a minute, and let it actually color. Browning adds flavor that the sauce alone won’t replace. Cook pork to 160°F (71°C) — no pink.
- Parmesan clumped instead of melting smoothly: The sauce was probably boiling when the cheese went in. Pull it off the heat first, then stir the cheese in gradually.
- Spinach turned slimy: It went in too early or sat on residual heat too long. Stir it in right at the end, off the heat — it wilts from the warmth of the dish without overcooking. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish.
Leftovers and meal prep
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce thickens considerably as it sits, so when reheating add a small splash of milk — a tablespoon or two — and warm it low and slow on the stovetop, stirring frequently. The microwave works too; cover the bowl loosely and stop to stir halfway through. Freezing is possible but not ideal: the milk-based sauce can split on thawing and the pasta goes soft. If you want to prep ahead, cook and freeze just the meat mixture separately for up to 2 months, then make a fresh sauce when you’re ready to serve.
Pork Spaghetti Carbonara (Creamy Roux Sauce)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup whole milk - 150ml
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to packet directions until al dente (usually 9-11 minutes). Drain, reserving ½ cup (120ml) of pasta water, and set aside in the same pot.10.5 oz spaghetti
- While the spaghetti cooks, cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Push the bacon to one side, add the ground pork, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned through and no pink remains, about 6-8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.2 slices bacon, 1 pound ground pork
- In the same large pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 60 seconds until the mixture turns pale gold and smells nutty. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.2 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK), 2/3 cup whole milk, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Add the meat mixture to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.2 slices bacon, 1 pound ground pork
- Add the drained spaghetti to the pot with the sauce and meat mixture. Toss to coat evenly — if the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your preferred consistency. Stir in the fresh spinach and toss until just wilted, about 30 seconds.10.5 oz spaghetti, 1 cup spinach
- Serve immediately in warm bowls, topped with an extra grating of Parmesan and a crack of black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I use a different pasta shape instead of spaghetti?
Yes — any medium pasta shape works fine. Rigatoni, penne, or fusilli actually hold the thick sauce a little better than spaghetti does, so they’re a practical swap if that’s what’s in the cupboard.
Can I leave out the bacon and just use ground pork?
You can, and the dish will still be good. The bacon adds a smoky edge that the ground pork alone doesn’t have, so if you skip it, a small pinch of smoked paprika stirred into the sauce gets you close.
What can I use instead of Parmesan if I don’t have it?
Grated Pecorino Romano works and is sharper, so use slightly less. A mature cheddar will melt into the sauce smoothly and tastes different but still good — it’s a reasonable pantry substitute.
Can I use water instead of milk to make the sauce?
Milk is what gives the sauce its creaminess, so water alone will produce a thinner, less rich result. If you’re out of milk, a mix of water and a tablespoon of cream cheese or sour cream will get you closer to the right texture.
Do I need to cook the spinach separately before adding it?
No — fresh spinach goes straight into the finished dish and wilts from the residual heat. Adding it off the heat at the very end keeps it from turning mushy.
How do I know the ground pork is fully cooked?
It should reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) with no pink remaining. If you don’t have a thermometer, make sure the juices run clear and the meat is uniformly gray-brown throughout before combining it with the sauce.
If you liked this one
- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Hearty Beef Mushroom Stroganoff
- Savory Pork Stottie Filling
