Guanciale, Pecorino, and eggs—plus a splash of pasta water magic—are all you really need for a proper Carbonara. People in Italy will argue forever about the ‘correct’ technique, but at its core, it’s just a rich, no-fuss meal that’s surprisingly easy to pull off in your own kitchen. It’s a fittingly indulgent finish to our series on Rome’s four classic pastas, stripped back to the basics.
This recipe builds on pasta alla gricia by adding eggs to the mix, which means that you not only need to create an emulsion with the fat and water, you also need to temper the eggs to avoid cooking them into a scrambled mess. It’s tricky, but done right, the result is a perfect combination of rich, creamy, salty and crunchy.
See the rest of our series on the classic four pastas of Rome.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- ½ lb (225 g) guanciale, diced or sliced
- 3 to 4 whole eggs, at room temperature
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup (2 oz/60 g) finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus additional for serving
- Salt as needed
- 1 lb (450 g/1 pkg) dried pasta such as spaghetti, bucatini or rigatoni
Instructions
This recipe builds on pasta alla gricia by adding eggs to the mix, which means that you not only need to create an emulsion with the fat and water, you also need to temper the eggs to avoid cooking them into a scrambled mess. It’s tricky, but done right, the result is a perfect combination of rich, creamy, salty and crunchy.
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
While the water is heating up, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the guanciale and cook it slowly until it has rendered most of its fat and is crispy and golden brown.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs with the cheese and a few generous grinds of black pepper.
Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until it is al dente, according to package directions.
Using tongs, add the pasta to the sauté pan with the guanciale and remove from heat.
Slowly and carefully pour about ½ cup pasta water into the egg and cheese mixture, whisking constantly — you want to bring the temperature of the eggs up without scrambling them.
Add the eggs to the pasta and, working very quickly, toss everything together, adding more pasta water if necessary to create a creamy sauce.
Serve at once with the additional cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
