Simple Recipes for Every Day
Pasta Carbonara
- Serves: 4
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti, bucatini, or fettuccine
- 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1 cup, plus more for serving (see Note)
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces diced guanciale, pancetta, or bacon
- Flaky salt, optional, for serving
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water in a spouted measuring cup. Drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in the Parmesan and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned but not yet crispy and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the rendered fat in the skillet.
Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan, and bring the rendered fat and water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring constantly, until the water is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
While whisking, slowly pour ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg yolk-and-cheese mixture.
While stirring, pour the egg yolk mixture into the pasta. Continue stirring until a creamy sauce forms, about 3 minutes. If needed, thin the sauce by adding additional pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Add the guanciale and toss to combine. Serve topped with additional Parmesan and pepper.
Note: We recommend not using pre-shredded Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese will melt into the sauce the best and create a creamy texture.