Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Silky, glossy pasta coated in a rich egg-and-cheese sauce with crisp pork and plenty of black pepper—no cream, just proper technique.

Ingredients

• 200g spaghetti
• 100g guanciale (or pancetta), cut into 1cm lardons
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 60g Pecorino Romano, finely grated (plus extra to serve)
• Freshly ground black pepper (about 1 tsp, plus extra)
• Salt (for pasta water)

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Make the egg-cheese base

  In a bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs + 1 yolk. Stir in the grated Pecorino and 1 tsp black pepper until you have a thick paste-like mixture. Set aside (this is your “sauce”—it will loosen with pasta water).

• 2

  Step 2: Cook the guanciale

  Put guanciale in a cold skillet (no oil). Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pieces are deeply golden and crisp, 6–8 minutes. Turn off the heat. Keep the guanciale and its rendered fat in the pan.

• 3

  Step 3: Boil the pasta

  Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it well. Cook spaghetti until just shy of al dente (1 minute less than the packet). Right before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water.

• 4

  Step 4: Combine pasta with guanciale fat

  Add drained spaghetti to the skillet with guanciale. Toss over low heat for 30–60 seconds so the pasta gets coated in the rendered fat (this also cools it slightly—important so the eggs don’t scramble).

• 5

  Step 5: Off-heat emulsify into a glossy sauce

  Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the egg-cheese mixture and toss vigorously for 30–45 seconds. Add a splash of reserved hot pasta water (start with 2–3 tbsp), tossing continuously, until the sauce turns shiny and clings to the pasta in a silky layer. Add more water a tablespoon at a time as needed.

• 6

  Step 6: Serve immediately

  Plate straight away. Top with extra Pecorino and a serious grind of black pepper. It should look creamy and glossy, not thick or claggy.

Tips

• **Key technique:** The sauce is made **off the heat**. If your pan is screaming hot, let it sit 30–60 seconds before adding eggs.
• **Guanciale vs pancetta:** Guanciale is traditional and gives the best texture; pancetta works well. Avoid smoked bacon if you want the classic flavour.
• **Fixing the sauce:** If it seems too thick, loosen with more hot pasta water. If it goes grainy, you likely overheated—add a splash of pasta water and toss hard to re-emulsify.
• **What to serve with:** A simple green salad with olive oil and vinegar is perfect alongside.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)