Chef John's Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Chef John's Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Spaghetti alla carbonara in its authentic form: peppery, creamy without using cream, cheesy, and delicious.

Preparation Time
5 mins
Cooking Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Calories
688 Calories

Recipe Instructions

Step 1
Cook guanciale with olive oil and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Step 2
Whisk eggs, 3 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 3
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Step 4
Pour reserved pasta water and drained spaghetti into the bacon-pepper mixture; stir to combine.
Step 5
Slowly pour egg mixture into the pasta mixture; cook, stirring constantly until the egg mixture forms a thick sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 6
Stir remaining 3 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese into the pasta mixture and serve.
Chef John's Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Chef John's Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Chef John's Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Chef John's Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 ounces spaghetti
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 4 ounces guanciale, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water

Categories

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