Dinner Free recipe

Spaghetti Carbonara

The real Roman carbonara -- no cream, just eggs, Pecorino Romano, guanciale (cured pork cheek), and a technique that takes 3 minutes.

Time
25 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
Rating
4.9 ★★★★★
Spaghetti Carbonara step 1
Spaghetti Carbonara step 2
Spaghetti Carbonara step 3

in the kitchen

Ingredients

  • 400g spaghetti
  • 200g guanciale or thick pancetta
  • 4 whole eggs plus 4 extra yolks
  • 100g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
  • 50g Parmesan, finely grated
  • 2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
  • Fine sea salt for the pasta water

Method

  1. Cook spaghetti in very well-salted water until 1 minute before al dente. Reserve at least 2 mugs of pasta water.
  2. Meanwhile fry guanciale in its own fat until crispy. Remove pan from heat and let it cool slightly.
  3. Whisk eggs, yolks, Pecorino, Parmesan, and half the pepper in a bowl.
  4. Drain pasta and add to guanciale off the heat. Add egg mix, toss vigorously, adding pasta water gradually until silky. Serve immediately with remaining pepper.