Perfectly al-dente spaghetti, beautifully crispy guanciale in a rich, creamy sauce but with no cream! Find out how to make truly Authentic Italian Carbonara with this simple recipe.
About this recipe:
If like me you've been to many Italian restaurants and always ordered a carbonara only for it to be packed full of cream and just not hit the spot, then this recipe is for you. After travelling to Rome, the home of Spaghetti Carbonara, and experiencing the truly authentic recipe, I was determined to master the method at home. This recipe will take you through the simple steps to create a silky, creamy carbonara sauce without having to add any cream! Authentic and simply divine, you'll never have carbonara any other way again!
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Ingredients
- Spaghetti
- Guanciale
- Pecorino and parmesan cheese
- Egg yolk (one per person)
- Salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step photographs:
- Step 1: Chop the guanciale into lardon pieces. Add to a cold pan and on a medium-low heat, slowly render out that fat and allow the guanciale to crisp.
- Step 2: Meanwhile, to your grated pecorino and parmesan, add your 4 egg yolks.
- Step 3: Add a generous teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- Step 4: Using the back of a fork, mix your cheese and egg mixture.
- Step 5: After around 20-30 minutes your guanciale will be beautifully crispy.
- Step 6: Set the guanciale pieces to one side along with a ladleful of the rendered fat. Allow the fat to cool.
- Step 7: Boil a pan of water and add your pasta, cooking it 1 minute less than the packet instructions to allow it to be al-dente.
- Step 8: Meanwhile, add about 3 tablespoons of your cooled, rendered guanciale fat to your egg and cheese mixture and combine.
- Step 9: Using a ladle, reserve 100ml of the starchy pasta water about 4 minutes before draining. Allow to cool slightly, then whisk it into your egg and cheese mixture.
- Step 10: Drain your pasta with a colander, return the pasta to the pan and while the pasta is still hot, whisk your sauce mixture into the pasta.
What Spaghetti is best?
If you have the time, making fresh pasta from scratch is the truly authentic way of making Spaghetti Carbonara. This recipe shows you how to make it with store bought spaghetti. Make sure you source high quality, durum wheat spaghetti and always cook it for 1 minute less than the packet instructions for the perfect al-dente pasta.
What about the Guanciale?
The best cured meat to use for Authentic Italian Carbonara is Guanciale, cured pork cheek that crisps up perfectly and renders flavorful fat for the sauce. You may have to do quite a bit of searching for a store that has guanciale available but it is well worth the time and effort to source it! I make some suggestions below if you are finding it hard to get your hands on!
Why do I need to reserve the fat and starchy pasta water?
It's simple science really! The rendered guanciale fat acts as an emulsifier for the egg and cheese mixture so that when you add the starchy pasta water to create a creamy sauce, the sauce doesn't split! I recommend reserving more starchy pasta water than you think you might need so that you can add more if you find that your carbonara isn't as creamy as you would like it to be!
What can I serve with my Spaghetti Carbonara?
- Pull apart garlic bread - no pasta dish is complete without a side of crispy, golden garlic bread. This pull apart garlic bread is perfect for tearing and sharing!
- Arugula Salad - compliment your carbonara with this peppery Arugula Salad with homemade balsamic glaze!
Substitutions
This recipe shows you the truly authentic way of making carbonara, however I've listed some substitutions here for any ingredients you might be finding hard to get your hands on:
- Guanciale - instead of guanciale you could substitute it for pancetta or even bacon lardons.
- Pecorino and parmesan - all good convenience stores should have both of these cheeses, however Grana Padano is a perfect substitution.
Storage
Authentic Italian Carbonara is one of those dishes that needs to be eaten immediately as when it is reheated it can become dry and grainy. However, if by some miracle you have any carbonara left over, I have some tips for storing and reheating it the next day:
- Refrigerating - allow your carbonara to cool completely, add to an airtight container and refrigerate. Ideally, you can also refrigerate any reserved pasta water to add to it when reheating.
- Reheating - Before heating, add a splash of your reserved pasta water to help revive the sauce's creaminess. Warm gently in a pan, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary.
Top Tip
The star of the show for this dish is the perfectly crispy guanciale. The key to getting it as crispy as possible is going low and slow - adding your guanciale to a cold pan and allowing it to fry on a low heat. This will allow the fat to render out and crisp the pieces to perfection. The whole process should take 20-30 minutes!
FAQ
Never! Following the simple steps in this recipe will leave you with a silky, smooth, creamy sauce without having to use any cream at all!
The rule is simple, 1 egg yolk per person. This recipe serves 4 people so I used 4 egg yolks. You may have seen some recipes call for the use of one egg white, however I have always found it not to be necessary.
If you follow the steps in the recipe exactly then you will avoid this and end up with a divinely creamy sauce. My top tip is to allow the reserved fat and pasta water to cool before whisking it into your egg mixture. During the final step, take your pan off the heat and allow the heat of the cooked pasta to melt into the sauce.
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Recipe
Authentic Italian Carbonara
Perfectly al-dente spaghetti and crispy guanciale in a rich, creamy sauce. Here's how to make truly Authentic Italian Carbonara.
Ingredients
- 12 oz (350g) Spaghetti
- 4 oz (100g) Guanciale
- ½ cup (50g) Pecorino Romano
- ½ cup (50g) Parmesan cheese
- 4 Egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop the guanciale into lardon pieces. Add to a cold pan and on a medium-low heat, slowly render out that fat and allow the guanciale to crisp.
- Meanwhile, to a bowl of your grated pecorino and parmesan, add your 4 egg yolks. Add a generous teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- Using the back of a fork, mix your cheese and egg mixture.
- After around 20-30 minutes your guanciale will be beautifully crispy. Set the guanciale pieces to one side along with a ladle full of the rendered fat. Allow the fat to cool.
- Boil a pan of water and add your pasta, cooking it 1 minute less than the packet instructions to allow it to be al-dente. A. few minutes before draining, save 2 ladles of the starchy pasta water (see step 7).
- Meanwhile, add about 3 tablespoons of your cooled, rendered guanciale fat to your egg and cheese mixture and combine.
- Using a ladle, reserve 100ml of the starchy pasta water a few minutes before draining. Allow to cool slightly, then whisk it into your egg and cheese mixture.
- Drain your pasta with a colander, return the pasta to the pan and while the pasta is still hot, whisk your sauce mixture into the pasta.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 766mgSodium: 1508mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 19g