The authentic version of the world's favourite pasta recipe! All you need is eggs, guanciale or pancetta, Parmigiano or pecorino and spaghetti to make Rome's favourite pasta dish!
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
5 stars (73 reviews)
Keywords
alla carbonara, carbonara, Italian recipe, Roman cuisine, spaghetti
Ingredients
400 g spaghetti or spaghettoni ((14oz))
250 g guanciale (pork cheek) ((9oz) or pancetta (Italian bacon) cut into small cubes.)
2 tbsp olive oil ((I don't use olive oil with guanciale))
4 eggs (one per person) including one egg yolk (or 5 eggs if using only egg yolks)
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano ((2oz) or aged pecorino freshly grated.)
freshly ground black pepper.
salt (for pasta)
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
Central Italy
Italian
Rome & Lazio
Steps
Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil. Cook pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet
Meanwhile, fry the guanciale or pancetta until browned. (I use a little olive oil with pancetta but not with guanciale as it renders quite a lot of fat)
Lightly beat the eggs and/or egg yolks in a large bowl with the grated cheese and black pepper.
When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the pan with the guanciale. Then mix well to coat the pasta. Take off the heat. Allow to cool slightly (so the egg won't be scrambled).
Then add the egg and cheese mixture. Stir well to coat the pasta, but not too vigorously ( you don't want scrambled eggs!). Serve immediately with more grated cheese and black pepper as required.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 935 kcal
Carbohydrates: 76 g
Protein: 30 g
Fat: 56 g
Saturated Fat: 22 g
Trans Fat: 0.02 g
Cholesterol: 239 mg
Sodium: 867 mg
Sugar: 3 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Reviews
Andrew on 2024-10-02 (5 stars): Thank you for your amazing website. I am new to cooking but I love Italian food so I started my journey right here :) I made the pasta exactly how you explained it here and the best part of it was actually al dente :) So I managed that very well. However, as of the final dish - I think it ended up to be too dry. Now I understand why others add salads or cream - without those the dish is quite dry and it feels like something is needed to make it feel creamier. In any case, I read your description and I understand that no cream or salads should be used if you want to keep it original. Thank you for all those recipes, I love how easy it is to print them out for shopping and cooking offline.
Lesley on 2024-09-14 (5 stars): I'm eating it right now. Fabulous recipe! I'm going to impress my friends and family with this!!
Gloria on 2024-03-20 (5 stars): This is Italian comfort food at the highest level. Simple ingredients make the most delicious dishes. You can never go wrong with bacon and pasta together.
Tony Marcantonio on 2024-03-18 (5 stars): Your carbonara is similar to mine. I’ve used pancetta and guanciale. I do prefer it with guanciale. I transfer the almost al dente pasta directly to the pan with tongs. This adds some of the pasta water which makes the sauce creamier and aids the absorption. I place the pan over the pot of water to finish off the pasta.
Cindy R on 2022-12-09 (5 stars): I had my first Carbonara in Florence and I could never get it correctly done in the USA. Everyone wants to put "cream and bacon" on it. Finally I made my own following your recipe and using pancetta. WOW WOW WOW - I'm back in Florence. I have some guanciale in the frig so I will try that next.
Love your blog!
michele on 2022-11-14 (5 stars): This is such a satisfying dish. I used gunciale, cutting the rind off the block I got from my much appreciated local Italian supermarket. I made this at the specific request of a friend who is in in the midst of chemotherapy maze: this is what she really wanted to eat, and she loved it. Thank you for another easily accessible and well-explained recipe, with as always delicious flavour. And a particular thank you for giving my friend a pleasurable dinner.
Colleen on 2020-07-16 (5 stars): Carbonara is my favorite pasta, hands down, and I would never think to add cream. I can't wait to try this recipe because it looks just like one of our favorite Italian restaurant's version.
Don O'Sullivan on 2020-05-07 (5 stars): My favourite place in Rome for carbonara is a place called Pasta Imperial, it's a true hole in the wall, 6.00 euros for an incredible plate of pasta! They make their own pasta and sauces every day. I tried to recreate their spaghetti carbonara at home, I'd come close, but never quite the same, and I couldn't figure out just what was missing. My last time in Rome (I'm there often for business) I had a great lesson from the cook working that day. I told her my dilemma, the first thing said said was "you have to use guanciale" I told her I do, she actually showed me how they make it, mine was fairly close... What I did learn was they use 100% duram semolina flour! When I got home I tried making pasta with 100% semolina flour, that was the key difference! it was awesome! Follow the recipe above, use semolina flour to make pasta and you will be very happy!
Dennis on 2020-04-12 (5 stars): My father is from Ancona and used to make this when we were kids. He used to add some minced garlic, as you wind the heat down from cooking the guancale, before putting the past a in.
And this definitely takes attempts before getting it just right. But it is so worth it and would win over any food critic in your circle of family and friends!
Christian Guzman on 2020-02-19 (5 stars): That looks so interesting! I will have to try this soon.
