Spaghetti Carbonara

Though many people travel to Rome to experience the Colosseum, for me, there’s only one reason to make the trip: carbonara! Like other Italian classics bucatini all'Amatriciana and cacio e pepe, eating a bowl of silky, rich, perfectly salty carbonara is life-changing. The classic Roman dish composed of silky eggs, sheep's milk cheese, and al dente spaghetti or spaghettoni (a thicker version of spaghetti) is comfort food + good for the soul + Italian bliss all wrapped around your fork tines. The best part? It’s completely possible to make it great right at home. Read on for all of our top tips on how how to make yours the best it can be.

What People Are Saying:
"Fantastic. By far the best carbonara I've ever had and really easy to make. Worth it to find yourself the pancetta as it adds an element of flavor. Def making again." - del2397

"My husband and I have scrambled carbonaras in the past, so I was super nervous to give it another shot . . . but I was surprised at how easy this recipe made it! Loved how clear and approachable the directions were." - childofthecorn5

How To Make Pasta Carbonara

INGREDIENTS

• The Pancetta: While you can use bacon instead in this recipe, we prefer to use pancetta for its salty, less-smoky flavor. You’ll typically find flat pancetta or rolled pancetta at the store, but always opt for the latter; try to avoid buying pre-cut pancetta. When cooking, there’s so much fat on the pancetta that additional oil isn’t necessary, so make sure to start the meat in a cold pan and render the fat over medium-low heat until golden brown.
• The Salt: I'm usually not fussy about the amount of water and salt, but here it's key to get the best texture for your sauce. If you're using a finer salt, be sure to cut the amount of salt in half. And be sure to reserve some of that starchy pasta water!
• The Spaghetti: We’re looking for thick noodles here—thin spaghetti just won’t give you the same level of satisfaction and authenticity. Regardless of the pasta shape used, make sure to control the amount of water used to cook the pasta. A shallow pan like a skillet or sauté pan allows for more concentrated starchy water to develop as the pasta cooks. Less water will yield a starchier liquid for the carbonara sauce.
• The Eggs: The key here is to add piping hot pasta to the eggs and tossing constantly to get that signature glossy sauce. I found 5 large egg yolks plus 1 whole egg are the perfect ratio for the perfect carbonara.
• The Cheese: Grate your cheese right before using, and whatever you do, DON’T buy pre-shredded. Like we suggest in most of our pasta recipes, pre-shredded cheese just won’t give you the same flavor or texture. If you can’t find Pecorino Romano, you can substitute Parmesan or Piave.
• The Pepper: The ultimate finishing touch for any carbonara recipe. Be sure to use only freshly ground!

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

You might question the first step here, but I found it took a solid 20 minutes to render the fat from the pancetta. Cook it low and slow and don't rush the process. The pancetta should get dark brown and crispy and look like this:

While the pancetta is getting cooked, bring 10 cups water and a full tablespoon of salt to a boil. As mentioned above, it's usually not crazy important to get the proper water-to-salt ratio when cooking pasta, but for here, it definitely is, as the starchy liquid is key to the final carbonara sauce. Try not to forget to reserve some of it (which is easy enough to do)!

Timing is key here...when the pasta is close to done, whisk the egg yolks, egg, and Pecorino Romano just until combined. You want the pasta to be super-hot to cook the eggs.

Quickly transfer the pasta to the egg mixture. Add the pancetta and some pasta water and toss toss toss to combine. Feel free to add more pasta water until the sauce becomes beautifully glossy and the cheese melts. Be sure to finish off with some freshly ground black pepper.

Recipe Tips

Temperature and time are key for making a quality carbonara. Don’t be hasty! Cook your pasta once everything else has been prepped. Whether using pancetta or guanciale (see below), it takes time to render the fat to produce crispy pieces of pork. Cook the pasta and stay close by to retrieve it from its starch bath. From there it will go straight to the bowl of eggs and cheese—draining via a strainer isn’t needed.

Serving Ideas

This decadent pasta is fully satisfying all on its own, but if you're looking for sides, we recommend pairing this with our favorite side dishes for pasta, including Parmesan roasted green beans, focaccia, and cacio e pepe Brussels sprouts.