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Authentic Spaghetti Carbonara

Creamy Roman pasta dish made with eggs, cheese, pancetta, and black pepper

Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Italian pasta dinner comfort-food quick

Ingredients

    • 400g (14 oz) spaghetti
    • 200g (7 oz) pancetta or guanciale, diced
    • 4 large egg yolks
    • 1 whole egg
    • 100g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • Salt for pasta water

Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
    • While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced pancetta and cook for 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden. Remove from heat.
    • In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, whole egg, grated Pecorino Romano, and a generous amount of black pepper until well combined.
    • Add the hot drained pasta directly to the skillet with pancetta. Toss to coat the pasta in the rendered fat.
    • Remove skillet from heat (important!). Quickly add the egg mixture while tossing constantly to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to reach desired consistency.
    • Serve immediately with extra Pecorino Romano and black pepper on top.

Tips & Techniques

⚠️
Important: Make sure to remove the pan from heat before adding the egg mixture. The residual heat will cook the eggs perfectly. If the pan is too hot, the eggs will scramble!
💡
Temperature Tip: Let the pasta cool for about 30 seconds after draining before mixing with the egg mixture. This helps prevent scrambling while still keeping everything hot enough to create a silky sauce.

Traditional Tips

📖Traditional Tips

  • Authentic carbonara doesn’t use cream - the creaminess comes from the eggs and cheese
  • Pecorino Romano is traditional, but you can use Parmigiano-Reggiano or a mix of both
  • Guanciale (cured pork jowl) is the most authentic choice, but pancetta or bacon work well too

Variations

🔄Variations

  • Vegetarian: Replace pancetta with sautéed mushrooms and add a pinch of smoked paprika
  • Extra Creamy: Add an additional egg yolk
  • Garlic Lover’s: Add 1 minced garlic clove to the pancetta while cooking

Nutrition Information (per serving)

Calories: 520 kcal
Protein: 24g
Carbs: 58g
Fat: 20g

The key to perfect carbonara is tempering the eggs properly. The heat from the pasta should cook the eggs gently, creating a creamy sauce without scrambling them.