Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti carbonara is a world renown dish in the western world, which you can find in the many Italian restaurants. This dish is quick and easy to make, needing only a few ingredients.

The sauce is made from a combination of heat and the egg yolks combining with the starchy water, making the silky carbonara sauce we all love.

Travelling to Italy

Me and my partner went to grab a quick lunch whilst waiting for our train in Florence. We decided to pop into a local Trattoria restaurant. We were taken to our seats by the host, sat down and starting reading the menu. Minutes later we were greeted by an old, passionate Italian man called Adriano.

After talking to Adriano about food, our travels and Italian culture we asked him for a recommendation. With a big smile said “we must try this spaghetti carbonara, it is exactly how we make it in Rome”(his hometown).

Sometime between 5 & 7 minutes our carbonara’s arrived. They had nice chunks of guanciale, lots of specks of black pepper & a silky sauce. Overall this was properly the best carbonara I have ever eaten!

After finishing we moved on our conversation with Adriano about what makes a real Roman Carbonara. This is what he told us!

Adriano’s Secret Spaghetti Carbonara Tips/Tricks

• Do not use cream!
• Use dry pasta and not fresh because the sauce is made from eggs.
• Starting cooking the pasta before the guanciale.
• To make a authentic carbonara you must use Pecorino Romano. This is made from sheep milk unlike parmesan which is made by cow milk. (Pecorino is more sharp & salty then Parmesan)
• Season with a good amount of black pepper.

Italian Recipes You May Like

• Ragù alla Bolognese
• Pumpkin Risotto 
• Spaghetti Carbonara

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Spaghetti Carbonara

Carbonara is a Italian pasta dish originating from Rome in the region of Lazio. This recipe can varies with different types of pasta or hard cheeses being used however spaghetti and Pecorino Romano are the most common.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Pasta, Spaghetti Carbonara

Servings: 4 People

Calories: 767kcal

Cost: £5

Equipment

• Large Pot
• Saute Pan
• Mixing Bowl
• Microplane Grater

Ingredients

• 500 G Spaghetti
• 200 G Guanciale or pancetta Diced
• 4 Eggs
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 100 G Pecorino Romano Finely Grated
• Sea Salt
• Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Instructions

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then generously salt. Add the spaghetti cook until al dente. When the pasta is done, reserve 200ml of pasta water, then drain.
• Meanwhile as the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add the guanciale and sauté for about 3-5 minutes, until slightly crisp.
• While the guanciale is cooking separate 2 egg yolks in a bowl, add 4 eggs, grated pecorino and a liberal amount of freshly ground black pepper.
• Next add half of the reserved pasta water to the pan and deglaze (scrap any bits of the bottom of the pan) . Toss the spaghetti into the saucepan, constantly stirring until most of the pasta water has evaporated.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture, stirring quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little of the reserved pasta water.
• Serve fresh from the pan

Video

Notes

• Pecorino Romano can be swapped with Parmigiano reggiano or a mixture of both cheese.
• If Guanciale is not available use pancetta or bacon lardons
• Spaghetti is the usual pasta however fettuccine, linguine, bucatini or rigatoni are also used.