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Spaghetti carbonara

Rome's four-ingredient miracle: crisp pork, glossy egg, sharp pecorino, black pepper.

30 min 25 min hands-on Serves 4 Italian Kid friendly

Carbonara is a Roman pasta built on just eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper, with no cream in sight. The silky sauce comes from emulsifying beaten egg with a little starchy pasta water off the heat. It is a fast weeknight dinner that feels far more indulgent than its short ingredient list suggests.

Ingredients

  • 400 g spaghetti
  • 200 g pancetta or guanciale, cut into 1cm strips
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 whole egg
  • 80 g pecorino romano, finely grated
  • black pepper, coarsely ground, plenty, to taste
  • 1 tbsp salt, for the pasta water

Method

  1. Bring about 4 litres of water to the boil in a large pot over a high heat, 10 to 12 minutes, then add the salt. It should taste pleasantly salty, since the pasta takes its seasoning from the water.
  2. While the water heats, put the pancetta in a wide, cold frying pan and set it over a medium heat. Cook, stirring now and then, until the fat has melted out and the edges turn crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Starting cold renders the fat without burning the meat. Turn off the heat and leave it in the pan.
  3. In a bowl, whisk the yolks, the whole egg, most of the pecorino and plenty of black pepper into a thick, glossy paste. Keep a small handful of cheese back for serving. The eggs are only gently cooked by the heat of the pasta, so use pasteurised eggs if you are cooking for anyone pregnant, elderly or very young.
  4. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and stir for the first minute so it does not stick. Cook for 1 minute less than the packet says, usually 8 to 9 minutes. Before you lift it out, scoop out a mug of the starchy cooking water and get your tongs ready.
  5. Lift the spaghetti with tongs straight into the pancetta pan, still off the heat, and toss for 30 seconds to coat it in the fat. The pan should be warm, not sizzling: the heat of the pasta cooks the egg, and a hot pan scrambles it.
  6. Pour in the egg mixture with a splash of the pasta water and toss quickly and constantly. Keep adding water a splash at a time until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand, 1 to 2 minutes. If it starts to look grainy, add water straight away. Still thin after 2 minutes? Set the pan over the lowest heat for 20 to 30 seconds, tossing constantly.
  7. Warm the bowls with a splash of the hot pasta water, tip it out and serve at once, with the rest of the pecorino and another twist of pepper. A crisp green salad with a sharp lemon dressing is all it needs alongside.

Tips

  • Take the pan off the heat before adding the egg mixture so the eggs thicken into a sauce rather than scramble.
  • Use guanciale if you can find it, but pancetta is a good substitute and ordinary bacon works in a pinch.
  • Save a mug of starchy pasta water before draining and loosen the sauce with it a splash at a time.

Common questions

Is there cream in real carbonara?

No, traditional carbonara uses only egg, cheese, and pasta water for its creaminess. Cream is a common shortcut but changes the dish.

What cheese should I use?

Pecorino Romano is traditional for its sharp, salty bite, though many cooks use a mix of pecorino and Parmesan to soften it.