Description
Creamy spaghetti carbonara whisks home cooks straight to Roman culinary traditions with its silky egg sauce and crisp pancetta. Classic ingredients blend perfectly, promising restaurant-quality comfort that delights you at first delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Meat:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) spaghetti
- 4 ounces (113 grams) pancetta or guanciale, diced
Eggs and Cheese:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
Seasonings and Optional Additions:
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled (optional)
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a generously salted water pot to a rolling boil and submerge spaghetti, cooking until perfectly tender with a slight bite. Carefully extract ½ cup of starchy pasta water before draining the noodles completely.
- Render the pancetta in a heated skillet, transforming the cubes into crisp, golden morsels. Briefly swirl a garlic clove around the pan to infuse subtle aromatics, then discard the clove.
- Craft a silky sauce base by whisking eggs, an additional egg yolk, finely grated Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper in a mixing vessel until smoothly integrated.
- Transfer the steaming pasta directly into the skillet with crispy pancetta, ensuring each strand becomes coated with the rich, savory fat.
- Immediately remove the skillet from heat and pour the egg mixture over the pasta, rapidly tossing with dynamic movements to create a luxurious, velvety coating. Gradually introduce reserved pasta water to achieve the ideal creamy consistency.
- Perform a final seasoning assessment, incorporating extra salt and pepper if necessary. Plate the carbonara promptly, garnishing with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for enhanced flavor complexity.
Notes
- Create a silky sauce by removing the skillet from heat before adding eggs to prevent scrambling, ensuring a smooth, creamy texture.
- Swap pancetta with bacon or plant-based alternatives for dietary preferences, maintaining the recipe’s rich, savory essence.
- Use room temperature eggs for better integration and smoother sauce, allowing ingredients to blend seamlessly without temperature shock.
- Reserve pasta water is crucial for adjusting sauce consistency, helping to emulsify and bind the egg mixture with pasta perfectly.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg