Spaghetti Carbonara (Traditional Roman)
Traditional dish · Italian
The quintessential Roman pasta dish, featuring spaghetti coated in a creamy sauce made from eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, guanciale, and black pepper. No cream is used in the authentic version.
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Ingredients
- Spaghetti400g
- Guanciale150g
- Eggs (yolks)4
- Pecorino Romano cheese100g
- Black pepperto taste
- Saltto taste
Steps
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.
- 2
Cut the guanciale into small cubes or strips.
- 3
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and grated Pecorino Romano cheese until well combined. Season generously with freshly cracked black pepper.
- 4
Cook the guanciale in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove the guanciale pieces with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Set aside.
- 5
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente.
- 6
Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the spaghetti.
- 7
Drain the spaghetti and immediately add it to the skillet with the rendered guanciale fat. Toss to coat.
- 8
Remove the skillet from the heat. Quickly pour the egg and cheese mixture over the hot spaghetti, tossing vigorously to create a creamy sauce. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to help emulsify the sauce and prevent the eggs from scrambling. Continue tossing until the sauce is creamy and coats the spaghetti.
- 9
Add the crispy guanciale back into the pasta and toss to combine.
- 10
Serve immediately, garnished with extra Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper.
