Spaghetti alla Carbonara
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A delicious and easy, authentic Italian recipe
Author:
Recipe type: Pasta course
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. guanciale, pancetta, or slab bacon, sliced thinly (or cubed)
  • ¼ tsp. dried red pepper flakes
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
  • 1 lb. dry spaghetti
  • 2 lrg. egg yolks, as fresh as possible, room temperature
  • 2 lrg. whole eggs, as fresh as possible, room temperature
  • — sea salt
  • — freshly ground pepper
  • ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 2 TBSP. parsley, finely minced (optional)
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Do not fill the pot with too much water; add just enough for the pasta to cook.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the guanciale (or pancetta, or bacon) and cook until it is golden and crisp, stirring occasionally. Stir in the pepper flakes and the garlic (if using) and turn off the heat.
  3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
  4. While the pasta cooks, place the eggs, salt and pepper, and the cheeses in a bowl and whisk them together very well. Place the bowl over a pot of just simmering water and continue to whisk until the cheeses are melted.
  5. Return the skillet with the guanciale (or the pancetta) to medium heat. Drain the pasta and reserve about one cup of the hot, starchy, cooking water. Add about ½ cup of the pasta water to the skillet. Toss the pasta into the skillet and mix for a few seconds until the bubbling subsides and much of the water has evaporated.
  6. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the egg and cheese mixture, stirring vigorously until the egg and cheese sauce thickens. The residual heat will temper and cook the eggs. At this point if the sauce seems too thick, thin it out by adding more of the reserved hot water. Taste and season the pasta with some more freshly ground pepper.
  7. Serve immediately on warm plates, garnished with some fresh parsley and freshly ground pepper.
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/spaghetti-alla-carbonara/