Spaghetti Carbonara
In our opinion, there is no Roman dish more quintessential than Carbonara. In our last trip to Italy we were on a quest to find the perfect Carbonara. We ate many versions from Florence, to Tuscany but then finally found the perfect Carbonara in Rome. And, it was on a street side cafe were the waiter promised it was his grandmother’s recipe. If it was or not, it was pretty darn amazing. We’ve been practicing our version ever since.
The beauty of this dish, is in it’s simplicity. The sauce is only 4 ingredients, guanciale, eggs, pepper and cheese After lots of testing we do know ingredients matter. Use pecorino cheese, none other, as it’s the right texture and flavor for Carbonara.
If you cannot find guanciale, pork cheek is an acceptable substitute. Thick bacon would work in a pinch too, but not recommended.
No need to add any oil to the pan, as the guanciale will render plenty of fat.
If you prefer a crispier texture, cook a little longer. When the guanciale is cooked remove from the pan and set aside. Turn off the heat, and keep the oil.
This all pulls together very quickly.
Boil the spaghetti according to package directions. A couple of tips: don’t use salt in the water as there is plenty of salt in the guanciale. Also, cook the paste to to al-dente.
Add a very generous amount of pepper to the eggs. If you are black pepper adverse this is not the dish for you. Add the cheese as well, whisking all together.
Once the pasta is cooked, use tongs to remove from the water and place in the skillet. Toss it a bit in the leftover oil. The next part is key; the pan should be warm or not too warm. You want the egg mixture sauce to cook but not become scrambled eggs. If you have a very low setting on your stove top, set it on that or just turn off the stove all together.
Add the sauce, tossing briskly. The guanciale can be added back at this point too, keeping a few pieces out for a garnish. After a few more tosses, the pasta is ready!
Serve at once, to ensure the sauce stays silky smooth. Garnish with a few crisp pieces of Guanciale and a bit more pepper if desired. That’s it! Super simple but very specific in the creation.
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 6 oz. guanciale, chopped (pork cheek also works, it can be found at most major markets)
- 12 oz. good Spaghetti (try to find spaghetti made in Italy), cooked according to the package directions
- 1 cup (or more) Pecorino Cheese, finely grated (do not substitute!)
- 4 eggs
- A very generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a deep skillet fry the guanciale over medium heat. Fry to your liking, whether less done or more crispy. Remove from the pan to a separate bowl and keep warm. Do not drain the oil.
- In another bowl, pour 1 cup of the finely shredded pecorino over the 4 eggs. Whisk vigorously until well mixed.
- Add a very generous amount of fresh black pepper to the egg and cheese mixture. Whisk well.
- At this point the spaghetti should be cooking. Once complete, remove the pot from the heat, do not drain.
- Once the spaghetti is complete, using tongs, carefully remove from the water, and place into the deep skillet along with the oil. If the pan is warm enough, simply toss the spaghetti with the oil. If it's cooled a bit, turn the pan on low to rewarm.
- This is the tricky part. Using the tongs to continue tossing the spaghetti, carefully add the egg, cheese and pepper. If the pan is too hot, you will have scrambled eggs. Keeping the pan slightly warm, toss the spaghetti into the sauce well. In the warm spaghetti, the egg mixture will "cook." The sauce should have a nice silky finish. Add the guanciale to the spaghetti. Add more pepper if desired.
- Serve at once, with more pecorino cheese and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Made the “old style” way with sharp cheddar in a creamy sauce. Super easy to make and sure to please.