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Our authentic carbonara recipe is rich, indulgent, and surprisingly simple, making it one of our favorite pasta recipes. If you’ve never tried making your own carbonara at home, this is the perfect recipe for you. Our carbonara is made with just four ingredients–pasta, guanciale, eggs, and Pecorino Romano cheese. The result is so rich and creamy that you’d never guess there’s no cream in the entire recipe!
Egg yolks add extra richness that is cooked by the heat of the pasta, creating an authentic Italian sauce with no cream needed. And while it’s traditionally made with guanciale and Pecorino Romano, you can always substitute them with more readily available options if needed.
This recipe takes just 20 minutes from start to finish, leaving you plenty of time to try homemade pasta (or keep it simple with dried spaghetti noodles!). With a simple side salad and a loaf of crusty garlic bread, you’ll have an authentic Italian dish that rivals any restaurant, any night of the week!
What is Carbonara?
Carbonara is a classic Italian recipe that holds a spot as one of the four classic Roman pasta dishes, along with amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and alla Gricia.
Carbonara combines hot al dente spaghetti pasta with raw eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and a splash of hot pasta water to create a luscious sauce, coating every noodle. It’s then tossed with diced guanciale for a burst of salty, savory flavor.
How to Make Carbonara
Ingredients
Process
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta, season well with salt and stir. Cook pasta until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Place diced guanciale in a cold pan and place over medium heat. As the fat begins to render, stir bits around until evenly browned and cooked.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the guanciale, reserving the grease.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs, egg yolks, grated cheese, and a generous pinch of black pepper until it is fully combined.
- Whisk together.
- Place pan with grease over medium-high heat and add pasta. Toss to evenly coat.
- Remove pasta from heat and pour cheesy mixture over pasta and toss together until fully incorporated and sauce begins to form and thicken with the residual heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water at a time, only as needed, to make the sauce more fluid.
- Toss guanciale into pasta until evenly incorporated.
- Divide pasta between bowls and top each serving with more freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated Pecorino Romano.
What is Guanciale?
Guanciale is a cured meat made from pork cheek. It’s typically heavily seasoned with herbs and salt, then cured for a savory, salty, incredibly flavorful addition to pasta. You’ll find guanciale used in many traditional Italian recipes.
What if I can’t find Guanciale for Carbonara?
While Guanciale is popular in European countries, it may not be as readily available in local stores, depending on where you live. The rich, savory, and nutty undertones of guanciale are similar to pancetta or bacon, so you can substitute with either of those if you need to.
If you’re able to get your hands on guanciale, though, we recommend giving it a try. It’s typically cured with herbs like sage, garlic, and rosemary, giving it a really robust and unique flavor that you don’t necessarily get with pancetta or bacon, as those cuts of pork are typically only cured with salt.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Don’t overcook the pasta! You want your pasta to be al dente with a little bit of bite that will absorb the sauce. Overcooked pasta may become mushy when it absorbs the sauce.
- Make sure you reserve some of the pasta water to help thin out the sauce. It’s easy to get moving and forget this step, so keep a cup handy to grab some water before you strain the pasta.
- Serve immediately in a warm bowl to help the pasta sauce stay creamy as you enjoy your meal. As the carbonara sits, the sauce may begin to thicken and lose some of its silky texture.
- If the sauce seems too thick, just keep adding pasta water a spoonful at a time and continue to toss the noodles in the sauce.
What to Serve with Carbonara Pasta?
For a complete meal indulgent enough for a weekend but easy enough for any night of the week, serve this carbonara recipe with a simple side:
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Carbonara Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 6 ounces guanciale diced (lardons)
- 2.5 ounces grated pecorino romano
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta, season well with salt and stir. Cook pasta until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Place diced guanciale in a cold pan and place over medium heat. As the fat begins to render, stir bits around until evenly browned and cooked.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove guanciale, reserving the grease.
- In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, egg yolks, grated cheese, and a generous pinch of black pepper until fully combined.
- Whisk together.
- Place pan with grease over medium-high heat and add pasta. Toss to evenly coat.
- Remove pasta from heat and pour cheesy mixture over pasta and toss together until fully incorporated and sauce begins to form and thicken with the residual heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1-2tablespoons pasta water at a time, only as needed, to make the sauce more fluid.
- Toss guanciale into pasta until evenly incorporated.
- Divide pasta between bowls and top each serving with more freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated Pecorino Romano.
Nutrition
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