Spaghetti alla Carbonara
The real Roman carbonara: silky egg-and-pecorino sauce, crisp guanciale and lots of black pepper — no cream in sight.
By Mise En Place Team
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Tags: Italian, pasta, quick, weeknight, comfort food
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti
- 150 g guanciale (or pancetta), diced
- 3 piece egg yolks
- 1 piece whole egg
- 60 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch salt, for the pasta water
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
- 2. Meanwhile, fry the guanciale in a cold dry pan over medium heat until the fat renders and the pieces turn crisp and golden, 6–8 minutes. Take off the heat.
- 3. Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino and a generous amount of black pepper into a smooth paste.
- 4. Reserve a mug of pasta water, then drain the spaghetti and add it to the pan with the guanciale.
- 5. Off the heat, pour in the egg mixture and toss quickly, loosening with splashes of hot pasta water until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand.
- 6. Serve at once with extra Pecorino and black pepper.