Authentic spaghetti carbonarasilky, peppery and made without cream
Roman spaghetti with crisp guanciale and a silky sauce of egg, Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
True Roman carbonara gets its gloss from eggs, Pecorino, rendered guanciale fat and starchy pasta water—not cream. The sauce is mixed away from direct heat so it thickens around the spaghetti without scrambling.
Ingredients
Pasta
Sauce
Preparation
Render the guanciale
Place guanciale in a cold wide skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the pieces turn crisp; remove half.
9 minutesMake the egg mixture
Whisk four yolks and one whole egg with Pecorino and most of the pepper into a thick paste.
3 minutesCook the spaghetti
Boil in lightly salted water until al dente. Reserve 300 ml cooking water.
10 minutesCoat with guanciale fat
Transfer spaghetti to the warm skillet and toss with rendered fat and a splash of pasta water. Turn off the heat.
2 minutesEmulsify off heat
Wait 30 seconds, add the egg mixture and toss vigorously, adding warm pasta water gradually. Fold in crisp guanciale and serve.
4 minutes
Substitutions
Rigatoni may replace spaghetti. Pancetta is a fallback, but guanciale gives the traditional flavor; do not add cream.
Storage
Serve at once. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat very gently.
Approximate shelf life: Up to 2 days refrigerated, though the sauce is best fresh.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
