dinner

Spaghetti Carbonara

Name: Spaghetti Carbonara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pound spaghetti; 6 ounces guanciale (or pancetta), cut into 1/4-inch strips; 4 large egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs; 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano; Freshly ground black pepper — a lot of it; Kosher salt

Real carbonara contains no cream. The sauce is an emulsion of egg yolks, Pecorino Romano, rendered guanciale fat, and starchy pasta water — built in the bowl and tossed with hot pasta until it coats every strand. Getting the temperature right is the only hard part: too hot and you get scrambled eggs, too cool and the sauce stays thin.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min Total: 25 min Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
6 ounces guanciale (or pancetta), cut into 1/4-inch strips
4 large egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs
1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
Freshly ground black pepper — a lot of it
Kosher salt

Instructions

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.
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.
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.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the guanciale and its fat. Toss over low heat for 30 seconds to coat.
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.
Serve immediately in warm bowls, topped with the remaining Pecorino and more black pepper.