Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Rome's other great pasta — guanciale rendered until amber, tossed off-heat with spaghetti, raw egg yolks, and pecorino so the residual warmth alone pulls everything into a glossy, peppery custard. No cream, ever.
Ingredients
- spaghetti200 g
- guanciale120 g
- egg yolks4
- whole egg1
- pecorino romano, finely grated60 g
- black peppercorns, coarsely cracked1 tsp
- fine sea saltfor the pasta water
Steps
Trim and cut the guanciale.
Trim the rind from the guanciale and cut into short batons about 1 cm thick.
Render the guanciale until crisp.
Render the guanciale in a cold, dry pan over medium heat until the fat is glassy and the meat amber and crisp at the edges, about 8 minutes. Kill the heat.
Boil spaghetti until just shy of al dente.
Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until just shy of al dente.
Whisk yolks, egg, pecorino, and pepper.
Whisk yolks, whole egg, pecorino, and cracked pepper into a thick paste in a heatproof bowl.
Toss pasta with guanciale off heat.
Drag the drained pasta into the guanciale pan (off the heat) with a splash of pasta water, tossing to coat in the fat. Wait 30 seconds — the pan must be hot but not sizzling.
Pour egg mixture and toss.
Pour in the egg mixture and toss vigorously, loosening with pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is glossy and clings to every strand. Plate immediately with more pecorino and pepper.
Nutrition, per serving. 655 calories. Protein 33.5 grams, 20 percent. Carbs 62 grams, 37 percent. Fat 32 grams, 43 percent. Fiber 3 grams, sugar 2 grams, saturated fat 10 grams, sodium 850 milligrams. Estimated from ingredients.
