Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp kosher salt – for pasta water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 1/2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese – finely grated
- 1 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
- 4 ounces guanciale
- 12 ounces spaghetti
Instructions
1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the kosher salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the large eggs, large egg yolks, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper until smooth and creamy; set aside.
3. Cut the guanciale into 0.25-inch batons or small cubes. Place in a wide skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the fat renders and the meat is golden and crisp at the edges, 7–10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
4. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than package time. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
5. Return the skillet with guanciale to low heat for 30 seconds, add the drained spaghetti and 0.5 cup reserved pasta water, and toss to combine. Remove from heat. Pour in the egg mixture and toss vigorously, adding small splashes of pasta water as needed, until a glossy, creamy sauce clings to every strand without any curdling, 1–2 minutes.
6. Serve immediately in warm bowls.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a Roman pasta celebrated for its silky, glossy sauce made from eggs, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper that emulsifies with rendered guanciale fat and starchy pasta water. The flavor is savory and peppery with a gentle richness that coats each strand without feeling heavy. When made well, the sauce is creamy without cream, with crispy-chewy bits of cured pork providing contrast in every bite.
Historically, Carbonara is a relatively modern addition to the Roman canon, most commonly traced to mid-20th-century Rome. Its origins are debated, with theories linking it to charcoal workers (carbonari) or to postwar availability of eggs and cured pork. Regardless of the exact genesis, it has become a defining trattoria dish of the city and a benchmark of Italian technique, prized for its minimal ingredients and precise execution.