Free recipe Italian

Spaghetti Carbonara

Name: Spaghetti Carbonara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb spaghetti; 6 oz guanciale, cut into 1/4-inch batons, or pancetta; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature; 2 oz pecorino romano cheese, finely grated, plus more to serve; 1 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated; 2 tsp black pepper, coarsely cracked, divided; kosher salt, for the pasta water; 1 cup pasta cooking water, reserved

Roman carbonara with crisp guanciale, egg yolks, pecorino, and black pepper tossed off the heat into a glossy, creamy sauce with no cream.

By Theo Brandt, Test Kitchen Lead & Cheese Specialist Published July 29, 2025

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Level: Medium

Carbonara looks like it must involve cream, but its silkiness comes from eggs, cheese, rendered pork fat, and starchy pasta water working together. Get the temperature right and the sauce turns glossy and custardy; get it too hot and you have scrambled eggs.

This version uses extra yolks for richness and color, plus guanciale, the cured pork jowl that renders into sweet, crisp bites and flavorful fat. Pancetta is a fine stand-in. Pulling the skillet off the heat and letting it cool for a minute before adding the eggs is the move that makes it work.

Serve it right away with more pecorino and pepper. A simple green salad is all you need alongside.

Creamy without any cream
Crisp guanciale in every bite
Classic Roman technique

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it lightly, since the guanciale and cheese will add plenty of salt.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, pecorino, parmesan, and half the pepper in a bowl until smooth and thick.
Put the olive oil and guanciale in a large cold skillet. Set it over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the fat renders and the edges are crisp.
Add the remaining pepper to the skillet for the last 30 seconds to bloom it in the fat, then turn off the heat.
Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet with 1/4 cup of pasta water and toss over low heat to coat every strand in the fat.
Take the skillet off the heat and let it stand for about 1 minute, so the pan is hot but no longer sizzling.
Whisk 2 tbsp of hot pasta water into the egg mixture to temper it.
Pour the eggs over the pasta and toss constantly, adding splashes of pasta water, until the sauce thickens into a glossy cream. If it stays thin, set the pan over very low heat for a few seconds while tossing.
Serve immediately with extra pecorino and black pepper.

Test-kitchen tips

Carbonara is best eaten the moment it is made. Cook only what you will serve and have everyone ready at the table.
Use a bowl set over the pasta pot if you are nervous about scrambling. Tossing over the gentle steam gives you total control.
Try rigatoni instead of spaghetti, or swap the guanciale for thick-cut smoked bacon for an American-style twist.