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🇮🇹 Lunch · Italy
Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara is a Roman classic built on just five ingredients: pasta, guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. The eggs cook from the pasta's residual heat alone — no cream, no pan time — forming a glossy, silky sauce that clings to every strand. Rich, savory, and boldly peppered, it is one of the most satisfying 30-minute meals in the world.
Roman classic
Authentic recipe from the heart of Rome
No cream
Egg sets from the pasta heat alone
30-minute pasta
Quick and deeply satisfying
Emulsion technique
Egg cream sets from pasta heat alone — never cream
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400g spaghetti
- 200g guanciale (or pancetta), cut into 1cm cubes
- 4 large egg yolks + 1 whole egg
- 80g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 40g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Fine sea salt for pasta water
How to make it
- 1Bring 4 litres of water to a rolling boil, salt it generously until it tastes pleasantly of the sea, then cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the packet's al dente time — it will finish in the sauce.
- 2Meanwhile, place the guanciale in a cold, wide pan over medium-low heat and let the fat render slowly for 8–10 minutes until it turns golden and the edges crisp; starting from cold prevents burning and draws out maximum flavour.
- 3While the guanciale renders, beat the egg yolks and whole egg with both cheeses and a generous amount of coarsely cracked pepper until you have a thick, pale, creamy paste — this is the sauce.
- 4Just before draining, scoop out at least 250 ml of the cloudy pasta water and keep it within reach; the dissolved starch is what makes a smooth emulsion possible.
- 5Take the guanciale pan completely off the heat — this step is non-negotiable — then add the drained, steaming spaghetti directly into it and toss for 30 seconds so every strand absorbs the rendered fat.
- 6Pour the egg cream over the pasta, then add pasta water a small splash at a time, tossing and folding constantly; the residual heat sets the egg into a smooth, glossy sauce — stop adding water when the sauce coats the pasta without pooling.
- 7Taste and adjust salt — the guanciale and Pecorino are already salty — then add a little more pasta water if the sauce tightens as you plate.
- 8Serve immediately in warm bowls, finish with an extra shaving of Pecorino and several confident turns of the pepper mill.
Tip: Take the pan off the heat before adding the egg-cheese mixture; residual heat sets the sauce without scrambling the egg.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Calories 784 kcal
Protein 33 g
Carbs 76 g
Fat 38 g
Fiber 3 g
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
🍷 Dry white wine (Frascati or Pinot Grigio)
🥬 Bitter greens with lemon and olive oil
🍞 Rosemary focaccia
🧀 Freshly grated Pecorino Romano
