Spaghetti carbonara
Spaghetti carbonara is a pasta dish with guanciale, pecorino, and an egg sauce without cream. The creamy texture comes from eggs, cheese, rendered fat, and starch-thickened water; the sauce is combined with the pasta after the flame is extinguished.
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Prepare the cheese and meat
Remove the tough skin from the guanciale, cut the meat into small cubes. Grate the pecorino as finely as possible: larger pieces do not dissolve well in the sauce. Set aside a small portion of the cheese for serving; the rest will be used in the egg mixture.
Render the guanciale
Place the cubes in a cold wide pan, heat on medium for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned and fat rendered. If the fat smokes, reduce the heat. No additional oil is needed; turn off the flame once the meat is ready.
Mix the egg base
In a bowl, combine pasteurized whole eggs and yolks with most of the pecorino and 2 grams of pepper. Whisk vigorously until a thick homogeneous mixture forms. Use only pasteurized eggs since the sauce does not boil.
Cook the spaghetti
Bring 3000 ml of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the spaghetti until al dente as per package instructions. Before draining, reserve about 300 ml of starchy water in a heatproof bowl: this will be used to combine with the sauce.
Combine pasta with fat
Transfer the hot spaghetti to the guanciale, add 60 ml reserved cooking water and toss with tongs. Keep the pan off the heat and let the sizzling stop. A hot, but not fiercely heated, base prevents the eggs from scrambling.
Make the smooth egg sauce
Pour in the egg mixture and toss vigorously. Add the remaining reserved water little by little until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Divide immediately between warm plates and add the reserved cheese and remaining pepper; do not bring back to the boil.
Little hint
If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with warm starchy water a spoonful at a time. Adding the eggs while the pan is still over the heat makes them set in curds instead of forming a smooth sauce.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with warm starchy water a spoonful at a time. Adding the eggs while the pan is still over the heat makes them set in curds instead of forming a smooth sauce.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Remove the tough skin from the guanciale, cut the meat into small cubes. Grate the pecorino as finely as possible: larger pieces do not dissolve well in the sauce. Set aside a small portion of the cheese for serving; the rest will be used in the egg mixture.
