Traditional Spaghetti alla Carbonara

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About this recipe

In this blog post I will guide you thru the steps and ingredients needed to craft this recipe. Grab your favorite apron and let's start.
Traditional spaghetti alla carbonara is a classic Italian dish that combines simple ingredients to create a flavorful and indulgent pasta dish. This recipe features al dente spaghetti tossed in a creamy sauce made with eggs, Parmesan cheese, pancetta, and black pepper. The result is a rich and satisfying meal that is perfect for any occasion.

Keywords: spaghetti alla carbonara, traditional recipe, Italian dish, creamy sauce, pancetta.

Traditional spaghetti alla carbonara recipe details

Traditional spaghetti alla carbonara recipe, recipe Rating: 4.7
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This is a guide for traditional (not Americanized) spaghetti alla carbonara. Use room-temperature eggs, tongs for the final tossing, and sprinkle it with hot pasta water until the pasta shines and glides. Enjoy!
Ready in: 30 mins

Ingredients

Serves: 6

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces guanciale (or pancetta), diced to 1/4-inch squares
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 pound spaghetti noodles
• 4 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 cup hot pasta water, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins

1. In a large pot, bring about 8 quarts of water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the guanciale and cook, stirring often, until it is crispy on the outside, yet still chewy and tender. Leave 2 tablespoons of rendered fat in the pan, draining the rest. Set the pan aside, off the heat.
3. When pasta water boils, add salt and pasta and cook al dente, about 8 minutes. About a minute before spaghetti is done, carefully scoop out about 1 cup of the boiling pasta water and set aside.
4. While spaghetti cooks, beat the egg yolks well in a small bowl.
5. Place the skillet with guanciale on low heat. Add one tablespoon of the hot water to the beaten egg yolks and beat them again briefly.
6. Drain the pasta and then add it to the skillet quickly, tossing. Add the egg yolks and the cheese, sprinkling while tossing. Add ground pepper to taste. Drizzle in small amounts of the remaining hot pasta water (adding only about a tablespoon at a time, tossing constantly), until a smooth, creamy and glossy consistency is achived.
7. Serve immediately, with additional cheese and pepper available.Ingredient Notes

Lots of Americans like to use bacon, cream, garlic, and onions — which is certainly tasty, but not traditional carbonara. For comparison purposes: typically, this recipes calls for guanciale (cured pork jowl), but pancetta is an acceptable substitute. Likewise, pecorino romano is the cheese usually used, but one can substitute Parmegiano if necessary, or use a combination. Grate it yourself!