Spaghetti Carbonara
Dive into the heart of Roman cuisine with our authentic spaghetti carbonara. Discover the traditional method that celebrates simplicity and quality ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 6 eggs 2 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks, room-temperature
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
- 1/4 lb guanciale diced
- 3/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 tbsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Grate the Cheese
- Use a fine grate to grate Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Cook the Guanciale
- Place a sauté pan on the stovetop at low to medium heat.
- Add the guanciale.
- Slowly cook until the fat renders out of the guanciale and the guanciale becomes browned on both sides.
- Remove the pan from the heat source.
Boil the Pasta
- Add water to the pasta pot.
- Season the water with salt (note: the water should taste like the ocean).
- Place the pasta pot on the stovetop at high heat.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water.
Emulsify the Cheese and Eggs
- Add eggs and egg yolk to a room-temperature bowl.
- Whisk in finely grated cheese until well combined.
- Optional: crack fresh ground pepper into the egg-cheese emulsion.
- Set aside.
Reserve the Pasta Water
- Reserve the pasta water when the spaghetti is nearly fully cooked to al dente consistency. Allow the spaghetti to cook for an additional minute before draining the water from the pasta.
- Add the spaghetti back to the pot and remove it from the heat source.
Toss the Pasta with the Pork
- Add the guanciale and guanciale fat to the pot of spaghetti.
- Toss together until the fat lightly coats all spaghetti noodles.
- Set aside.
Make the Carbonara
- Slowly pour the egg-cheese-emulsion and reserved pasta water into the pot of spaghetti bowl tossed with guanciale.
- Toss several times until the spaghetti is well coated with the glossy carbonara sauce. Ensure the sauce is slightly more liquid than expected, as it will thicken to the desired consistency within minutes.
- Season with additional salt and ground pepper to taste.
Let's Plate
- Top your pasta with extra finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for some extra saltiness.
- Dress up that pasta with some additional ground pepper.
Nutrition
Calories: 544kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 23gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 496mgPotassium: 245mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 368IUCalcium: 238mgIron: 2mg
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