Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti carbonara is the iconic Roman pasta of silky egg and cheese sauce, crisp pork, and lots of black pepper. With just a handful of ingredients and no cream at all, it delivers pure comfort in under 30 minutes. The glossy, clinging sauce is the mark of a carbonara done right.
- ⏱ 25 min
- 📊 easy
- 🍽 For Two
Ingredients
- 250 g spaghetti
- 120 g guanciale or bacon, diced
- 4 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- to taste salt
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente, reserving a cup of pasta water.
- Crisp the diced pork in a pan over medium heat, then turn off the heat.
- Whisk the egg yolks, Pecorino, and plenty of black pepper together in a bowl.
- Add the drained hot pasta to the pork and toss to coat in the fat.
- Pour in the egg mixture off the heat, tossing fast and adding splashes of pasta water until silky.
- Serve immediately with extra cheese and pepper.
💡 Chef's tip
Work quickly and toss constantly when combining; adding the egg mixture to a pan that is too hot is what turns carbonara into scrambled eggs.
The sauce is emulsified off the heat using starchy pasta water and the residual warmth, which gently cooks the eggs into a creamy coating instead of scrambling them.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories: 560 kcal
- Protein: 26 g
- Carbs: 58 g
- Fat: 24 g
