Spaghetti alla Carbonara

5 from 71 votes

The authentic version of the world's favourite pasta recipe! All you need is eggs, guanciale or pancetta, Parmigiano or pecorino and spaghetti to make Rome's favourite pasta dish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Central Italy, Italian, Rome & Lazio

Keyword: alla carbonara, carbonara, Italian recipe, Roman cuisine, spaghetti

Servings:

Calories: 935kcal

Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

400 g spaghetti or spaghettoni (14oz)
250 g guanciale (pork cheek) (9oz) or pancetta (Italian bacon) cut into small cubes.
2 tablespoon olive oil (I don't use olive oil with guanciale)
4 eggs (one per person) including one egg yolk or 5 eggs if using only egg yolks
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano (2oz) or aged pecorino freshly grated.
freshly ground black pepper.
salt for pasta

Instructions

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil. Cook pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet
Meanwhile, fry the guanciale or pancetta until browned. (I use a little olive oil with pancetta but not with guanciale as it renders quite a lot of fat)
Lightly beat the eggs and/or egg yolks in a large bowl with the grated cheese and black pepper.
When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the pan with the guanciale. Then mix well to coat the pasta. Take off the heat. Allow to cool slightly (so the egg won't be scrambled).
Then add the egg and cheese mixture. Stir well to coat the pasta, but not too vigorously ( you don't want scrambled eggs!). Serve immediately with more grated cheese and black pepper as required.

Notes

As mentioned in the post, the majority of chefs agree that "true" carbonara has guanciale and not bacon or pancetta, although both make fine substitutes as long as they are quite fatty and cubed.
Spaghetti is the usual pasta, although linguine, fettucine, bucatini and rigatoni can also be used.

Nutrition