Spaghetti Carbonara
Carbonara contains no cream. The sauce is built from egg yolks, finely grated Pecorino Romano, rendered guanciale, its fat, and starchy pasta water. The pasta water is not optional: its dissolved starch is what prevents the egg yolks from scrambling when they hit the hot pasta. The guanciale is rendered until the fat is melted and the meat is just starting to crisp, then both meat and fat are reserved. The pasta finishes cooking in its water, then moves directly to the pan with the guanciale, off the heat. The egg and cheese mixture goes in with a splash of pasta water, and everything is tossed rapidly. The residual heat from the pasta and pan cooks the yolks to a thick, glossy sauce without scrambling them. Temperature control is the entire skill. Add the eggs while the pan is still on the heat and you get something closer to fried egg pasta. The reward for doing it right is a sauce that coats every strand without a drop of cream.
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until 1 minute short of al dente. Before draining, reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water.
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While the pasta cooks, render the guanciale in a cold 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and the fat is fully rendered, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, most of the Pecorino (save some for finishing), and a very generous amount of black pepper.
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Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the guanciale and its fat. Toss over low heat for 30 seconds to coat.
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Remove the skillet from the heat entirely. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the hot pasta and toss vigorously, adding splashes of pasta water as needed, until every strand is coated in a creamy, glossy sauce. The residual heat cooks the eggs gently — do not put this back on a burner.
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Serve immediately in warm bowls, topped with the remaining Pecorino and more black pepper.
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