andrejthechef
ItalyPastaDinner

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

The real Roman carbonara: guanciale, egg yolks, Pecorino Romano and black pepper, no cream and no garlic. Pasta water does the emulsifying.

prep
10 min
cook
15 min
total
25 min
serves
4
level
medium
Spaghetti alla carbonara coated in a silky egg and Pecorino sauce with crisp guanciale and black pepper

Carbonara has exactly four ingredients worth arguing about: guanciale, egg, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. No cream, no garlic, no onion, and bacon is not guanciale. The sauce is egg and cheese, loosened and emulsified by starchy pasta water and the fat rendered from the guanciale, off the heat so it turns silky instead of scrambled.

The only real skill here is temperature control: hot enough to thicken the eggs, never hot enough to curdle them. Work off the heat, add the pasta water gradually, and keep the pan moving.

Carbonara is one of the twenty most famous Italian foods.

method

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it lightly (the guanciale and pecorino bring plenty of salt already).

  2. Render the guanciale in a cold wide pan over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat runs clear and the pieces turn crisp at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Take the pan off the heat.

  3. Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino and most of the pepper in a bowl until it looks like a thick paste.

  4. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.

  5. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the guanciale and its fat, off the heat, and toss to coat for a minute so it cools slightly.

  6. Pour in the egg and cheese mixture, tossing constantly and adding splashes of hot pasta water, until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand. If it looks like it is scrambling, pull the pan further from any heat and keep tossing.

  7. Plate immediately with more Pecorino and the remaining black pepper.

chef's tips

  • Guanciale only, if you can find it. Pancetta is the closest substitute; bacon is not carbonara.
  • The pan should feel warm, not hot, when you add the eggs. Off the heat is the whole trick.
  • Serve this the moment it is tossed: carbonara does not wait, and it does not reheat.