Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Rome's four-ingredient miracle
Authentic Roman carbonara made with guanciale, pecorino romano, egg yolks and black pepper — silky, glossy and completely cream-free.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 7 oz guanciale, cut into thick lardons
- 4 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
- 1½ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano
- 2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
- Salt for the pasta water
Instructions
- 01
Render the guanciale. Cook the guanciale in a cold, dry skillet over medium heat until the fat renders and the edges are crisp, 8–10 minutes. Kill the heat and leave the fat in the pan.
- 02
Make the cream that isn't cream. Whisk the yolks, whole egg, pecorino and black pepper into a thick paste.
- 03
Cook the pasta. Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve two cups of pasta water.
- 04
Temper. Whisk a few tablespoons of hot pasta water into the egg mixture to loosen and warm it.
- 05
Combine off the heat. Toss the drained pasta into the guanciale pan off the burner, pour in the egg mixture and toss hard, adding pasta water a splash at a time until glossy.
- 06
Serve immediately. Plate and finish with more pecorino and pepper. Carbonara waits for nobody.
Larry’s rule: If the pan is hot enough to scramble your hand, it's hot enough to scramble the eggs. Off the heat, always.