Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Pasta Carbonara (Spaghetti alla Carbonara)
Carbonara rewards a good twirl of spaghetti, with savory guanciale and a glossy egg-and-cheese coating in every forkful. Black pepper keeps it lively.
- Prep
- 2 min
- Cook
- 9 min
- Total
- 11 min
- Original yield
- Serves 3
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Take the guanciale off the heat
Brown the guanciale while the pasta boils, then remove its pan from the heat before the pasta joins it.
2. Whisk the sauce separately
Combine the whole egg, yolks, Pecorino and black pepper in a large bowl while the pasta cooks.
3. Toss quickly
Once pasta and guanciale meet the egg mixture, toss promptly to coat the spaghetti in the sauce.
Get to know the ingredients
Guanciale batons
Cut the guanciale into the specified narrow batons before sauteing it in the olive oil.
Whole egg and yolks
Keep the whole egg and additional yolks together for the sauce bowl; whisk them with cheese and pepper.
Grated Pecorino
Grate the Pecorino Romano before whisking it into the egg mixture so the sauce is ready for the pasta.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 3. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Pasta Carbonara (Spaghetti alla Carbonara)
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Finish each plate
Plate the coated spaghetti and add extra Pecorino and black pepper, with a slow-cooked egg if you're using one.
A little more help as you go
Salt the boiling water
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil before adding the spaghetti to cook.
Drain before combining
Drain the cooked spaghetti, then toss it with the guanciale before moving everything into the egg sauce bowl.
A few questions you might have
Does the egg sauce go into the frying pan?
The spaghetti and guanciale go into the large bowl holding the egg sauce, where you quickly toss them together.
Is cream part of the sauce?
The sauce here is whisked egg, egg yolks, Pecorino and black pepper; no cream is listed or added.
Do I need the extra egg on top?
The slow-cooked eggs are optional. The whole egg and yolks in the sauce are separate ingredients.
How brown should the guanciale be?
Saute until browned on the outside, then remove the pan from the heat while the pasta finishes.
How should I judge the spaghetti's cooking time?
Follow the package directions for the spaghetti, then drain and combine it with the guanciale as directed.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: norecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
