Spaghetti Carbonara

Learning to make carbonara is one of the essential techniques in home cooking. Not only is it easy and delicious, but the many different things you can do as a result make it a most know! Give it a try and up your pasta game.
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Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

UNITS

SCALE

INGREDIENTS

PASTA

  • For pasta water Salt
  • 1 lb Spaghetti , dried

CARBONARA SAUCE

  • ½ cup Bacon , diced
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin
  • 2 large Eggs, whole
  • 6 Egg yolks
  • ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp Black pepper, freshly grated
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin
  • ½ cup Pasta water

METHOD

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine bacon with olive oil in a large skillet and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until fat has rendered and bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes
  • In a large, heatproof bowl, whisk together whole eggs and yolks, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and black pepper.
  • Using tongs, transfer pasta to skillet with bacon and its fat; be sure not to drain boiling pasta water. Add olive oil to pasta and stir to combine; let cool slightly. Scrape pasta, bacon, and all the fat into the egg mixture. Add ½ cup pasta water to pasta and egg mixture. Stir to combine.
  • Set mixing bowl over pot of boiling pasta water (ensure bottom of bowl does not touch the water) and cook, stirring quickly with tongs, until sauce thickens to a creamy consistency and leaves trails as you stir. Remove from heat and divide into bowls. Serve right away, topping with more cheese and black pepper as desired.

NOTES

  • Alternatively, you can use penne pasta
  • Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired
  • Guanciale (cured pork jowl) can be used instead of bacon
  • If desired, season pasta with salt in step 5, but use very little since the pasta water and bacon already contain salt