Pasta Carbonara
Classic Roman pasta dish with eggs, cheese, and guanciale. Creamy without cream, it's all about the technique.
Personal Note: The key is to work quickly off heat when mixing the eggs - you want them silky, not scrambled. I use a bit more black pepper than traditional recipes because I love the bite it adds.
Ingredients
- •400g spaghetti or rigatoni
- •200g guanciale or pancetta, diced
- •4 large egg yolks
- •1 whole egg
- •100g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- •50g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- •Freshly ground black pepper
- •Salt for pasta water
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.
- 2
While pasta cooks, add diced guanciale to a cold pan. Turn heat to medium and cook until fat renders and guanciale is crispy, about 8-10 minutes.
- 3
In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, whole egg, and both cheeses. Add generous black pepper.
- 4
Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining. Drain pasta.
- 5
Remove guanciale pan from heat. Add drained pasta to the pan with guanciale and toss to coat.
- 6
Working quickly, add egg mixture to the pasta, tossing constantly. Add pasta water a little at a time until you achieve a silky, creamy consistency.
- 7
Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and black pepper on top.