Pasta Carbonara
- PREP 5min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 20min
Our go-to carbonara recipe is a family favorite! Carbonara relies on eggs for its creamy texture. We want to avoid overheating them. We want a smooth, emulsified sauce, not scrambled eggs! Because of this, we don’t make the sauce over direct heat. Instead, we make the sauce in our skillet off the heat. The pan is still quite hot, but not so much it will scramble the eggs. For best results, start with room temperature eggs. If your eggs are cold from the fridge, place them (in their shells) in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before you begin.
We call for Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano for this recipe. The combination of both cheeses really makes this simple sauce delicious. If you need to choose just one, go with Pecorino Romano, which has more of a salty, sharp flavor that’s incredible in carbonara (you would use 2 ounces).
You Will Need
12 ounces (340g) spaghetti or bucatini pasta
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 ounce (28g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1/2 packed cup
1 ounce (28g) finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, 1/2 packed cup, plus more for serving
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces (113g) thick-cut bacon, pancetta, or guanciale, 1/4-inch thick pieces or cubes
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, plus more to taste, I prefer 3/4 teaspoon
Salt for cooking the pasta
Directions
Cook Pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender, with a nice chew). I add 1 tablespoon of salt to the pasta water. If you’re using fresh pasta, wait to add it to the water until just before the bacon is almost finished rendering.
Prepare Egg Mixture: In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1 ounce finely grated Pecorino Romano. Set aside.
Render Bacon: Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon (or pancetta or guanciale) and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (increase to 3/4 teaspoon if you love pepper). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon begins to crisp but still has a slight chew, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, and set the skillet aside until the pasta is ready. Just before the pasta is done, reheat the bacon and rendered fat in the skillet over low heat.
Add Pasta to Skillet: Do not drain the pasta water. Instead, use tongs to transfer the pasta to the skillet with bacon over low heat. Toss the pasta around the skillet for 2 minutes.
Create the Sauce: Turn off the heat and wait one minute. Now, it’s all about keeping things moving from here. Add the egg and cheese mixture, and immediately begin tossing everything together. Add a tablespoon or two of pasta water (or more as needed) to thin the sauce until a silky sauce forms. Stopping or a pan that’s too hot will cause the eggs to scramble. Keeping everything moving around will make the sauce turn silky. It takes a minute or two.
Taste and season with salt and additional pepper as needed. Divide between dishes and dust with more cheese and black pepper on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Room temperature eggs: For best results, start with room temperature eggs. If your eggs are cold from the fridge, place them (in their shells) in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before you begin.
- Seasoning your pasta water: I use 1 tablespoon of salt. If you’re unsure, taste the water—it should taste pleasantly salty, like seawater.
- Grating the cheese: I use a fine microplane grater to grate the cheese for this recipe. The super fine cheese melts into the sauce so nicely. Since it’s so fluffy, it fills a measuring cup quickly, so to measure it, I lightly push the cheese into the cup to pack it down a bit.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.