Spaghetti Carbonara
Silky egg and pecorino sauce on every strand, with crisp guanciale, cracked black pepper and not a drop of cream.
25 min total with steps overlapped (44 min if done in order). 13 min hands-on. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated, for serving (optional)
- black pepper, coarsely ground
Guanciale
- 6 oz guanciale, rind removed
Egg and cheese
- 2 oz Pecorino Romano
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
Steps
- 0:00 Boil Bring a large pot of water, about 4 quarts, to a rolling boil. (12 min, hands-off)
- 0:00 Cut Cut 6 oz guanciale into strips about 1/4 inch thick and 1/2 inch wide. (4 min)
- 0:04 Render Cook the guanciale in a cold skillet over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the fat runs and the edges turn golden. Turn off the heat and leave it in its fat. (10 min, hands-off)
- 0:04 Grate Finely grate 2 oz Pecorino Romano on a rasp grater. (3 min)
- 0:07 Whisk Whisk 2 large eggs, 4 large egg yolks and 2 tsp black pepper in a bowl, then stir in the grated cheese to make a thick paste. (2 min)
- 0:12 Cook Add 1 tbsp kosher salt and 1 lb spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. (9 min, hands-off)
- 0:21 Toss Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then lift the spaghetti into the guanciale skillet, off the heat. Add the egg mixture and a splash of the water and toss hard until glossy and creamy, adding more water as needed. (3 min)
- 0:24 Serve Serve right away in warm bowls, topped with Pecorino Romano and black pepper. (1 min)