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Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Name: Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 400 g spaghetti; 180 g guanciale short strips; 4 egg yolks pasteurised if preferred; 1 whole egg pasteurised if preferred; 100 g Pecorino Romano finely grated; 2 tsp black pepper freshly ground; salt for the pasta water

Guanciale, egg, pecorino and black pepper

Roman carbonara with rendered guanciale, egg yolks, a whole egg, Pecorino Romano and black pepper, emulsified away from direct heat.

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Prep10 minsCook15 minsServes4DifficultyMedium

Rome, Lazio

The regional version.

The contemporary Roman guanciale, egg and pecorino version, with no cream, garlic or onion.

Guanciale supplies the cured-pork flavour and rendered fat.
Egg and Pecorino Romano make the sauce without cream.
The egg mixture is emulsified off direct heat to avoid scrambling.

Technique: guanciale, egg, pecorino and black pepper

Finely grate the cheese and control residual heat. Warm pasta water loosens the egg paste, but adding boiling water directly can curdle it. Pasteurised eggs are an option without changing the sauce ingredients.

The recipe

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

10 min prep15 min cook25 min total4 servings

Scale:

Ingredients

Main

400 g spaghetti
180 g guanciale, short strips
4 egg yolks, pasteurised if preferred
1 whole egg, pasteurised if preferred
100 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
salt, for the pasta water

Method

1
Render guanciale slowly in a wide dry pan for about 10 minutes until crisp at the edges. Switch off the heat.
2
Whisk yolks, whole egg, finely grated pecorino and black pepper in a bowl to make a thick paste.
3
Boil spaghetti in moderately salted water until al dente, reserving a large mug of starchy water.
4
Toss drained pasta with guanciale and its fat. Let the fiercest heat subside before adding the egg mixture.
5
Off the heat, stir rapidly, adding warm pasta water by spoonfuls until a glossy sauce coats the strands.
6
Serve immediately on warm plates with extra pepper. If the sauce tightens, loosen it with more warm water rather than direct high heat.

The version on this page

The contemporary Roman guanciale, egg and pecorino version, with no cream, garlic or onion.

Guanciale supplies the cured-pork flavour and rendered fat.
Egg and Pecorino Romano make the sauce without cream.
The egg mixture is emulsified off direct heat to avoid scrambling.

Cooking it well

Serving and planning

Serve immediately as a pasta course. Carbonara does not hold well for reheating or a buffet.

Explore the Italian regional cooking guide for related dishes and pantry notes.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly and use within 1 day.

Freezing

Do not freeze the finished sauce; its egg-and-cheese emulsion separates.

Reheating

Gentle reheating will set the eggs further; the original creamy texture cannot be restored reliably.

Keep cooking

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