Italian
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Roman carbonara emulsified off the heat, coating spaghetti in silky egg, Pecorino, guanciale, and black pepper without scrambling the sauce.
4 servings · 10 minutes prep · 15 minutes cook
Ingredients
Main
- 14 ounces spaghetti
- 5 ounces guanciale, cut into 1/4-inch batons
- 4 large pasteurized egg yolks
- 1 large pasteurized whole egg
- 3 ounces Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt, for pasta water
Directions
Method
- Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper into a thick paste.
- Cook the guanciale in a wide skillet over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the pieces are golden at the edges, 8-10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Boil the spaghetti with the fine sea salt until 1 minute shy of al dente, reserving about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water before draining.
- Add the spaghetti to the warm skillet with the guanciale and about 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Toss off heat for 30 seconds so the pasta is glossy and the pan is no longer fiercely hot.
- Add the egg mixture off heat, tossing constantly and loosening with pasta water until creamy. Return to the lowest heat only as needed, tossing continuously, until the sauce reaches {{temperature:160°F}} without scrambling.
- Serve immediately with additional Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
