Spaghetti Carbonara
The classic Roman pasta: silky egg-and-cheese sauce, crisp guanciale and plenty of black pepper. No cream, ever.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 200 g spaghetti
- 120 g guanciale, or pancetta, cut into 1cm lardons
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 whole large egg
- 50 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- 25 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to finish
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt, for the pasta water
Carbonara is one of those dishes that lives or dies on technique rather than fancy ingredients. The trick is treating the heat with respect so the eggs turn glossy and creamy instead of scrambling. Get the timing right and you'll never reach for a tub of cream again. This is how I've cooked it for years.
Equipment
Method
- 1
Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil and add the salt. It should taste pleasantly of the sea but not be aggressively salty, as the cheese and guanciale add plenty of seasoning.
8 min
- 2
While the water heats, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, grated Pecorino, Parmigiano and black pepper together in a bowl until you have a thick, smooth paste. Set aside.
3 min
- 3
Put the guanciale into a cold, dry frying pan and set over medium heat. Cooking it from cold renders the fat slowly so it crisps without burning.
- 4
Fry the guanciale, stirring occasionally, until the fat is translucent and the edges are golden and crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rendered fat in it.
7 min
- 5
Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until al dente, usually a minute less than the packet suggests. Reserve a mugful of the starchy cooking water before draining.
9 min
- 6
Add a splash of the hot pasta water to the egg and cheese mixture and whisk it in to loosen and warm the eggs gently. This tempering step helps prevent scrambling.
- 7
Tip the drained spaghetti into the pan with the guanciale and its fat, off the heat, and toss vigorously for 30 seconds to coat every strand.
- 8
Pour in the egg mixture and toss continuously, adding splashes of reserved pasta water a little at a time, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the pasta. The residual heat cooks the eggs into a silky sauce.
2 min
- 9
Serve immediately in warmed bowls with an extra shower of Pecorino and a generous grind of black pepper.
Chef's tips
- Work off the heat once the eggs go in. The pan's residual warmth is enough to thicken the sauce without scrambling it.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. It is the only thing that brings a split or stiff sauce back to silky.
- Use a good aged Pecorino Romano for that sharp, salty backbone. Pre-grated cheese will not melt as smoothly.
- Warm your serving bowls first. Carbonara cools and stiffens fast, so every second counts.
Make it your own
- Swap guanciale for pancetta if you cannot find it, though the flavour is slightly less sweet.
- Use all Pecorino for a sharper, more traditional Roman edge, or lean on Parmigiano for a mellower result.
Storage & make-ahead
Carbonara is best eaten the moment it is made. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to a day; reheat very gently with a splash of water, accepting the texture will never be quite as silky.
Nutrition / per serving
Estimated values. Actual nutrition varies with ingredients and portion size.