Spaghetti alla carbonara's creamy sauce is simply a thin egg and cheese custard, spiked with pork and black pepper. Try to find pancetta or guanciale (pork cheek cured like pancetta) for a really authentic taste!
Ingredients
- ounces guanciale: 4 piece (cut into 1/4 inch cubes)
- olive oil: 1 Tbsp
- ground black pepper: 1 tsp (to taste)
- eggs: 2 piece
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: 3 Tbsp (grated)
- Pecorino Romano cheese: 3 Tbsp (grated)
- ground black pepper: 1 tsp (to taste)
- ounces spaghetti: 6 piece
- reserved pasta water: 1 cup
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: 3 Tbsp (grated)
- Pecorino Romano cheese: 3 Tbsp (grated)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
-
Cook guanciale with olive oil and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
-
Whisk eggs, 3 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
-
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
-
Pour reserved pasta water and drained spaghetti into the bacon-pepper mixture; stir to combine.
-
Slowly pour egg mixture into the pasta mixture; cook, stirring constantly until the egg mixture forms a thick sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
-
Stir remaining 3 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese into the pasta mixture and serve.
