Spaghetti Carbonara
By Mark HuxsollPublished on August 26, 2020
Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
It is important to immediately add the egg mixture to the hot pasta in step 5. The hot pasta cooks the eggs, which thickens them and creates a luscious, creamy sauce that coats the pasta. We call for Pecorino Romano here, but Parmesan can be used, if preferred. If guanciale is difficult to find, you can substitute pancetta; just be sure to buy a 4-ounce chunk and not presliced pancetta. It's best to use freshly ground black pepper here.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven.
- Meanwhile, beat eggs and yolks, Pecorino, pepper, and salt together in bowl; set aside. Combine guanciale and oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until guanciale begins to brown and is just shy of crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
- Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and immediately return it to pot. Add guanciale and rendered fat from skillet and toss with tongs to coat pasta.
- Working quickly, whisk ¼ cup reserved cooking water into egg mixture, then add egg mixture to pasta in pot. Toss pasta until sauce begins to thicken and looks creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Serve immediately, passing extra Pecorino and pepper separately.
Time
45 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a bulletproof version of this much-beloved, simple Roman pasta dish of noodles draped in a luscious, porky, cheesy sauce. We began by rendering some guanciale (succulent and fatty cured pork jowl) until it was slightly crisp but still chewy and intensely porky. For the classic rich and creamy sauce base we whisked the right number (obtained through careful testing) of egg yolks and whole eggs with a hefty amount of freshly ground pepper and tangy Pecorino Romano cheese. Once the spaghetti was cooked to a perfect al dente, we whisked some of the pasta cooking water into the egg and cheese mixture to begin tempering the eggs. To emulsify the sauce, we tossed the hot pasta with the guanciale, its rendered fat, and the egg mixture until the eggs cooked and tightened into a silky sauce.
Before You Begin
It is important to immediately add the egg mixture to the hot pasta in step 5. The hot pasta cooks the eggs, which thickens them and creates a luscious, creamy sauce that coats the pasta. We call for Pecorino Romano here, but Parmesan can be used, if preferred. If guanciale is difficult to find, you can substitute pancetta; just be sure to buy a 4-ounce chunk and not presliced pancetta. It's best to use freshly ground black pepper here.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven.
- Meanwhile, beat eggs and yolks, Pecorino, pepper, and salt together in bowl; set aside. Combine guanciale and oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until guanciale begins to brown and is just shy of crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
- Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and immediately return it to pot. Add guanciale and rendered fat from skillet and toss with tongs to coat pasta.
- Working quickly, whisk ¼ cup reserved cooking water into egg mixture, then add egg mixture to pasta in pot. Toss pasta until sauce begins to thicken and looks creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Serve immediately, passing extra Pecorino and pepper separately.
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