Spaghetti Carbonara

Introduction

Carbonara is a classic Roman pasta dish made with just a handful of ingredients — yet the result is extraordinarily rich and satisfying.

Ingredients

• 400g spaghetti or rigatoni
• 200g guanciale or pancetta, cubed
• 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 100g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Steps

1. 1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
2. 2. Cook guanciale in a pan over medium heat until golden and crispy. Remove from heat.
3. 3. Whisk together egg yolks, whole egg, and Pecorino. Season generously with black pepper.
4. 4. Toss drained pasta with guanciale. Off the heat, pour in egg mixture and toss rapidly.
5. 5. Add pasta water a splash at a time until sauce is silky. Serve immediately.

Tips

Remove the pan from heat before adding eggs — residual heat is enough. Never add cream to authentic Carbonara.