Spaghetti Carbonara is a Roman pasta that’s as rich in flavor as it is in texture. Crispy guanciale and pasta are tossed in a velvety sauce of Pecorino Romano cheese, fresh eggs, and starchy pasta water. Topped with more Pecorino and coarsely ground black pepper this recipe is a favorite we turn to time and time again.
Editor’s Note: Originally published on February 26, 2019. Updated with full process shots and expanded info.
Spaghetti Carbonara is a dish that is often imitated and complicated with ingredients that aren’t needed, such as cream and butter.
But true pasta Carbonara, the version that hails directly from Rome, is anything but complicated.
The simplicity lies with the fact that there are just a few ingredients: Pecorino Romano cheese, eggs, guanciale (cured pork jowls), black pepper, and of course al dente pasta and the water it’s cooked in.
Much like Cacio e Pepe or pasta alla Gricia, the key to Carbonara lies in the preparation. By following the steps we’ve outlined here and in our video, you’ll be able to make restaurant-quality Carbonara in your own home.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Note: Use half as much salt due to the saltiness of the guanciale/pancetta and pecorino cheese. Dice the guanciale or pancetta. Freezing it for 30 minutes or so will allow easier cutting, but it’s not necessary.
- Beat the eggs and Pecorino together in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large pan to a bit less than medium heat. Saute guanciale until most of the fat has rendered (about 12-15 minutes). About halfway through the rendering process, cook the spaghetti until a touch less than al dente.
- Remove most of the guanciale or pancetta from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Place the drained spaghetti into the pan along with 2 ounces of pasta water. Mix the spaghetti with the guanciale fat.
- Remove the pan from the heat once the spaghetti reaches al dente. Wait 30-45 seconds then add the egg and cheese mixture. Mix quickly and/or toss to coat.
- If the pasta is too dry add a touch more of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Add the guanciale back to the spaghetti and toss once more adding more pasta water if needed.
- Taste test and adjust black pepper to taste. A good amount is recommended. Serve with grated Pecorino. Enjoy! Note: Reserving a bit of the crispy guanciale for topping each serving at the end is a nice touch.
Top tips for classic spaghetti Carbonara
- A word on guanciale. Guanciale is a salty cured pork product made from pork jowls. This product can be found at the deli counter at Italian specialty stores and we’ve even seen it sold at Whole Foods. It is the fat that is traditionally used in 3 of the Roman pastas, including Carbonara. While guanciale is preferred, we realize that it’s not easily accessible so if you can’t find it you can use pancetta, similar to how we did in our Bucatini Amatriciana recipe.
- The cheese. Since pasta Carbonara is a Roman pasta, the cheese that is used is Pecorino Romano. Pecorino is a salty sheep’s milk cheese that has a distinct flavor. We do recommend you use Pecorino for this recipe but if you simply cannot find it, you could use Parmigiano Reggiano. If you do use Parmigiano, you may need to add a little salt since Pecorino is saltier than Parmigiano.
- Avoid scrambled eggs! Successful Carbonara lies in the timing and technique. It’s so important to make sure you remove the pan from the heat and allow 30-45 seconds to pass before you add the egg and cheese mixture. Once you’ve added the mixture, be sure to mix thoroughly and avoid letting the egg mixture sit on the bottom of the pan. Not following these steps may result in a scrambled egg-like consistency.
- Save your pasta water. As with almost all of our creamy pasta recipes, we urge you to save your pasta water. The pasta water is actually part of the sauce and can also help to reconstitute the sauce if it dries out at all.
More pasta recipes you’ll love
If you love spaghetti Carbonara we think you’ll love these other simple pasta recipes that include just a few ingredients.
- Fettucine Alfredo – Butter and Parmigiano Reggiano tossed with pasta.
- Fettucine with Cherry Tomato Butter Sauce – Pasta tossed with a tomato, butter, and onion sauce.
- Spaghetti alla Nerano – Fried zucchini tossed with pasta in a cheese and butter sauce.
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Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 6 ounces guanciale or pancetta diced
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground
- 1 1/2 cups pasta water will most likely not need all of it
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Beat the eggs and Pecorino together in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large pan to a bit less than medium heat. Saute guanciale until most of the fat has rendered (about 12-15 minutes). About halfway through the rendering process begin cooking the spaghetti until a touch less than al dente.
- Remove most of the guanciale from the pan and set it aside on a plate. Place the spaghetti into the pan along with 2 ounces of pasta water. Mix the spaghetti with the guanciale fat then remove the pan from the heat once the spaghetti reaches al dente.
- Wait 30 seconds then add the egg and cheese mixture. Mix quickly or toss to coat. If the pasta is too dry add a touch more of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
- Add the guanciale back to the spaghetti and toss once more adding more pasta water if needed. Taste test and adjust black pepper to taste. A good amount is recommended. Serve with grated Pecorino. Enjoy!
Notes
- The key to making the carbonara creamy is to mix the egg/cheese into the guanciale/pancetta fat and pasta water thoroughly.
- Remember to wait 30-60 seconds before adding the egg and cheese mixture to avoid scrambled eggs. Mix quickly as well!
- No salt was added due to the saltiness of the guanciale and the pecorino cheese.
- Carbonara is best eaten right away instead of saving for leftovers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published on February 26, 2019. It was completely updated on September 2, 2022.
This was amazing. Really loved how quickly it came together
Just the way mom use to make it!
Hi Paul, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed!
A local restaurant serves an amazing plate of this and I have tried to replicate it without much luck – until I gave your recipe a try. I am lucky to live in a farm town with locally made guancaile available and this turned out better than the restaurant version! Followed the recipe exactly and feasted on silky, velvety, salty goodness! Thank you so much!
Hi Sri, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and really appreciate the comment!
Mange skritt, men du verden så deilig resultatet blir! Skal man ikke ha bladpersille i her?
Thanks for the comment Ingrid and so happy you liked it! No, there is no parsley in carbonara, but if you like it you can certainly add it.
I love Jim’s detailed yet uncomplicated tutorials. I will be making this carbonara, but with spaghetti. Thanks!
Hi Sue, thanks for the comment and so happy you you’re enjoying the recipes!
So appreciate the true version of this dish. So often I see it made with bacon and that’s just sad😊
Hi Kathy, thanks for the comment and happy you enjoyed the recipe!
I am new to “Sip and Feast.”
Carbonara was the first recipe I tried and it came out great! I love the simplicity of your website; I can go straight to printing, or if it’s something I never made before, I can watch the video.
I’m so happy my Italian friend recommended “Sip and Feast” to me.
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. I’m Irish and have been making Corned Beef and Cabbage for more than 25 years. I’m anxious to to see your recipe and glad that you present other ethnic foods besides Italian.
Great website and easy to follow directions. I give it 5 stars!!!
Thank you so much for the comment. We’re happy you found us and that you enjoyed the carbonara! The corned beef and cabbage recipe was just posted on our site yesterday so hopefully you enjoy that one as well!
I followed your recipe exactly, except using streaky bacon instead of guanciale as that’s what I had to use up. It turned out great so I’ll continue to use your method. Love the website and have to also say i’ve been searching for the recipe for a staff dish I used to get given to eat at break time when I was a potwash in an authentic family-run Italian restaurant here in the UK as a teenager many years ago (which was so delicious that i’ve never found the same anywhere else) and the closest I’ve ever been able to recreate was your penne (regate) puttanesca. Highly recommend that recipe to everybody and thanks Jim!
Hi Jim, thanks so much for the comment and thrilled to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
Fast. Easy delicious
Hi Joann, so happy you liked the recipe and really appreciate the comment!
Can you use regular bacon ? Love the recipe !
Hi Natalie, if you don’t have guanciale or pancetta, you can use bacon. Thanks for the comment and happy you like the recipe!
Oh oh l so can’t wait to make this! I can almost smell it through my screen!!
Thanks for the comment, Colleen! Hope you enjoy it!
Another great recipe !!! Thank you Jim. Also I love your serving calculator that comes in very handy. Great idea!!
Hi Dave, so happy you liked the recipe and appreciate the comment!
I love pasta that doesn’t have tomato sauce.
The carbonara was delicious! I used pancetta and followed the directions exactly! Simple ingredients. Quick enough for a weeknight meal, but delicious enough for company as well!
Hi Irene, so happy you liked the recipe! Thanks for your comment!
I know this is good recipe as it is virtually identical to the way I was taught as a youngster. I have made this now for over 50 years as I am now an old non kosher man who loves to cook.my mother told me if you love to eat,then you need to love to cook. Never been bad from the ( raw ) eggs in over 60 years. Unless you can find an Italian deli you can’t get guanciale in the UK either. Occassionally I use polish speck which is not bad substitute.
Hi and thanks for the comment. Speck is definitely a nice substitute. I wanted to convey that it can be made a few different ways and not to get hung up on the guanciale.
I’ve only had it with guanciale once and it ruined me just a little bit for every other time with bacon – not that I’d turn it down though.
Thanks Jo! I’m the same way bacon is still great and very accessible.
Beautiful! I’ve never tried Guanciale, though I would in a heart beat if I got my hands on some. This recipe sounds scrumptious and I love the simplicity of the ingredients. I’m willing to risk it with the eggs. 🙂
Thanks Valentina! Guanciale is hard to find and expensive but very tasty. My kids are a lover of the pancetta version though.