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Spaghetti Carbonara

Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g spaghetti
  • 200 g guanciale or pancetta, cut into small cubes
  • 4 large egg yolks + 1 whole egg
  • 100 g Pecorino Romano finely grated (plus extra to serve)
  • 50 g Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper plus more to taste
  • Salt for pasta water

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, reserving 250 ml pasta water before draining.
  2. While pasta cooks, fry the guanciale in a large cold pan over medium heat until the fat renders and the edges are crisp. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and black pepper until smooth.
  4. Add the hot drained pasta to the pan with guanciale (off the heat). Toss well to coat in the fat.
  5. Add the egg mixture and toss rapidly, adding pasta water a splash at a time to create a silky, creamy sauce. The residual heat cooks the eggs — do not let the pan return to direct heat or the eggs will scramble.
  6. Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and a generous grind of black pepper.

Notes

Source: Classic Roman recipe. Estimated values per serving. For general guidance only — actual values may vary with cooking style, ingredient brands, portion size and any additional ingredients or accompaniments.

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