Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
15m prep 20m cook 35m ready
A classic Roman pasta dish with a creamy sauce made from eggs, cheese, and guanciale. The silky texture comes from emulsifying eggs and Parmesan without cream.
Ingredients
- 8 oz Guanciale cut into small chunks
- 1 lb spaghetti
- Parmesan freshly grated
- 4 large eggs beaten slightly
- FRESH black pepper
- 1 lb dry spaghetti
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 oz pancetta or slab bacon cubed or sliced into small strips
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 9 of 13 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 813 mg
- Iron: 5.69 mg
- Magnesium: 129 mg
- Phosphorus: 948 mg
- Potassium: 967 mg
- Zinc: 5.64 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.
- 1 lb spaghetti
- FRESH black pepper
- 1 lb dry spaghetti
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- Freshly ground black pepper
Prepare
- 8 oz Guanciale, cut into small chunks
- Parmesan, freshly grated
- 4 large eggs, beaten slightly
- 4 oz pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
- Chop 1 fresh flat-leaf parsley
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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Step 2.
Cook pasta until al dente (8-10 minutes for dry pasta, 90 seconds for fresh). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
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Step 3.
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.
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Step 4.
Add guanciale or pancetta/bacon and cook until fat is rendered and meat is crispy.
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Step 5.
If using garlic, add it and sauté for less than 1 minute.
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Step 6.
Add hot drained pasta to the skillet and toss for 2 minutes to coat in fat.
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Step 7.
Beat eggs and Parmesan together in a bowl.
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Step 8.
Remove skillet from heat and pour egg mixture over pasta, whisking quickly until eggs thicken but do not scramble.
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Step 9.
Thin sauce with reserved pasta water if needed.
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Step 10.
Season with fresh black pepper and salt to taste.
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Step 11.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and extra Parmesan.
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