Italian · medium
Spaghetti Carbonara
Roman comfort in a bowl: silky egg-and-Pecorino sauce clinging to al dente spaghetti, studded with crisp guanciale and black pepper.
Steps
- 01
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until just shy of al dente.
~10 min
- 02
Meanwhile, render guanciale in a cold skillet over medium heat until golden and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Keep the fat in the pan; remove from heat.
~8 min
- 03
Whisk egg yolks, whole egg, grated Pecorino, and plenty of black pepper into a thick paste.
~3 min
- 04
Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain spaghetti and immediately add to the warm guanciale pan, tossing to coat in the fat.
~2 min
- 05
Off the heat, add the egg-cheese mixture and a splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously until a glossy sauce forms. Add more pasta water as needed.
~2 min
- 06
Taste for salt and pepper. Serve at once with extra Pecorino and another grind of black pepper.
~1 min
Tips
- Never add cream—the emulsion of egg, cheese, fat, and starchy water creates the sauce.
- Work off the heat so the eggs thicken without scrambling.
- Guanciale is traditional; pancetta works in a pinch, but skip bacon if you can.