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Carbonara

recipepastaitalianweeknightquick

Servings:

Carbonara

Source: Personal recipe (adapted from Alex French Guy Cooking)

Yield: 2 serving(s)

Time: ~20 minutes

About

Classic Roman pasta carbonara — simple, rich, and creamy without cream. The creaminess comes entirely from egg yolks, aged cheese, and starchy pasta water.

Key Technique: Remove the pan from heat before adding the egg-cheese mixture. Residual heat cooks the eggs gently — too hot and they scramble, too cool and the sauce won't emulsify.

Ingredients

  • 140g spaghetti
  • 2 egg yolk(s)
  • 100g guanciale, cut into 1cm cubes
  • 15g Grana Padano, grated
  • 10g Pecorino Romano, grated

Instructions

1. Prep

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
  2. Dice guanciale into 1cm cubes
  3. Separate egg yolks into a bowl
  4. Grate both cheeses and mix together
  5. Whisk egg yolks with half the grated cheese

2. Cook Guanciale

  1. Heat a large pan over medium heat — no oil needed
  2. Add guanciale and cook until fat renders and it's crispy
  3. Remove from heat, keep warm

3. Cook Pasta & Combine

  1. Cook spaghetti until al dente
  2. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining
  3. Add hot pasta directly to the guanciale pan and toss to coat in rendered fat
  4. Remove from heat, let cool 30 seconds

- Tip: This is the most important step — prevents scrambled eggs

  1. Add egg-cheese mixture and toss vigorously
  2. Add pasta water 1–2 tablespoons at a time, tossing, until silky and creamy

- Tip: Pasta starch is what creates the emulsion — use it generously

  1. Add remaining cheese and toss to combine

4. Serve

  1. Plate immediately
  2. Top with extra Pecorino and cracked black pepper
  3. Serve hot — it does not keep well

Tips

Traditional rules:

  • No cream — ever
  • No garlic, no onion
  • Guanciale is traditional (cured pork jowl); pancetta works; bacon is a last resort

Cheese:

  • Pecorino is sharp and salty; Grana Padano is milder
  • Adjust the ratio to taste — more Pecorino = more punch

Pasta water:

  • Don't be shy — the starch is doing the work
  • Add gradually and keep tossing until the sauce coats the pasta

Storage

  • Best eaten immediately
  • Reheating is difficult — eggs scramble easily
  • If you must: low heat with a splash of water, stirring constantly

Tags: #recipe #pasta #italian #weeknight #quick