An authentic carbonara is made with egg yolks, pecorino romano, guanciale, black pepper and pasta. This recipe is the traditional one you’ll find in any Roman restaurant.
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT25M
Rating
4.6 stars (5 reviews)
Keywords
authentic carbonara recipe, classic carbonara, italian carbonara, traditional carbonara
Ingredients
250 grams mezze maniche pasta
1 1/2 cups guanciale - cut into 1 cm wide strips
3/4 cups (30g) pecorino romano (grated)
4 egg yolks
salt and pepper to taste
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
Bring a pot of water to boil. When it's boiling, add salt. Throw the pasta in and cook until it's just before al dente – this is important because the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
When the water is about to boil, add the guanciale to a cold pan. Turn the heat up to medium and let the guanciale cook until it's crispy and the fat has rendered, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the guanciale from the pan, and leave the fat in. If pasta isn't ready by this time, remove the pan from the heat until pasta is done cooking.
While guanciale is cooking, make the carbonara cream - in a small bowl, beat together egg yolks, pecorino romano, 2 spoons of guanciale fat, a little bit of pasta water and fresh ground black pepper. The consistency should be similar to pudding.
Add the pasta to the pan, and add about half of a ladle of pasta water to the pan as well (still over medium heat). Be careful when adding the pasta to the pan because the guanciale fat will splatter.
Let the pasta cook in the pan for a few minutes, until it's al dente. Add more pasta water if needed. You want there to be a bit of starchy liquid left at the bottom of the pan, and not have it be completely dry.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the carbonara egg cream and mix. Add the guanciale and mix again.
Plate and top with additional ground black pepper and pecorino romano. Enjoy!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 2011 kcal
Carbohydrates: 96 g
Protein: 53 g
Fat: 157 g
Saturated Fat: 62 g
Cholesterol: 622 mg
Sodium: 2018 mg
Sugar: 4 g
Reviews
Maureen on 2024-05-03 (5 stars): I made this for family dinner (I always make 2 pastas and a meat with salad) and it easy to make! How does such simple ingredients taste so amazing and rich?? Everyone loved it. Definitely a keeper. I love the videos of your Sunday family dinners. Our family dinners are on Thursdays and they are a beautiful tradition Mom started and I've continued for many, many years. Family Is Everything.
Carolyn Bove on 2023-11-29 (5 stars): I made the carbonara tonight, and it was delicious! I’ve made the cacio e Pepe several times, also delicious! Up next, the last 2 Roman sauces. I Thank you, as does my husband.
Lisa Rogers on 2023-02-01 (5 stars): Great recipe. I lived in Italy for 2 years and since leaving I miss my 2 favorite pasta dishes... The carbonara and cacio e pepe. I made the carbonara tonight and it was as good as some of our favorite restaurants and in some cases better than what I got in Rome. Next will be the cacio! Thank you!
Michelle Nilsen on 2021-06-20 (3 stars): Can you cook the pork cheek ahead of time?
