Carbonara Variations
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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
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.
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.
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.
pancetta, cut into 1/4" pieces
kosher salt
spaghetti
large egg yolks
large egg
Pecorino Romano, finely grated (about 2 cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
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