The CookingCliff Notes
Dinner · Italian
Classic Italian Carbonara
Spaghetti with crisp guanciale, eggs, Pecorino and Parmigiano. The sauce is the eggs and a little pasta water; there is no cream in it.
By Chef Sarah · Kitchen original
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Ingredients
- 400g spaghetti
- 200g guanciale or pancetta, diced
- 4 large eggs
- 100g Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- 50g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt for pasta water
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente.
- While pasta cooks, dice the guanciale and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. No oil needed.
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs, both cheeses, and a generous amount of black pepper.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Remove skillet from heat. Add hot pasta to the guanciale and toss to coat.
- Add egg mixture and toss vigorously, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until creamy.
- Serve immediately with extra cheese and black pepper.
Chef Sarah’s notes
Take the pan off the heat before the eggs go in. The heat left in the pasta and pan is enough to thicken them without scrambling.