Description

Authentic Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a Roman classic made with just a few ingredients—spaghetti, guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper—transformed by technique into a silky, rich, and peppery dish with no cream or garlic needed.

Ingredients

400 g spaghetti
150 g guanciale, cut into lardons (or pancetta)
4 large egg yolks + 1 whole large egg
100 g Pecorino Romano, very finely grated (or 70 g Pecorino + 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano)
Freshly ground black pepper
Fine salt, for pasta water

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Instructions

Place guanciale in a cold skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and guanciale is golden and crisp. Turn off heat and leave fat in pan.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and whole egg with most of the cheese and a generous amount of black pepper until thick and creamy.
Cook spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until just al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
Add hot drained pasta to the skillet with guanciale and fat (off the heat). Toss to coat and add a splash of pasta water to loosen and emulsify the fat.
Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta while tossing constantly off heat. Gradually add hot pasta water as needed until the sauce is glossy and clings to the pasta without scrambling the eggs.
Plate immediately and top with the remaining cheese and more black pepper. Serve hot.

Notes

Use pancetta or thick-cut bacon if guanciale is unavailable, but adjust salt accordingly.

Blend Pecorino with Parmigiano for a milder flavor.

Serve immediately—carbonara doesn’t hold well.

Leftovers can be enjoyed at room temperature or turned into a next-day frittata.

Control heat to prevent scrambling the eggs during mixing.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 520
Sugar: 1g
Sodium: 580mg
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Unsaturated Fat: 13g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 23g
Cholesterol: 195mg