Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Bring water to boil

Bring a large pot of salted water (about 4-5 quarts) to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente (about 8 minutes for typical dried spaghetti; check package and subtract 1-2 minutes). Reserve 2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, leaving it very slightly wet.

Keep the pasta warm while you finish the sauce: you can return it to the pot off heat or leave in the colander and quickly combine with the sauce.

Render bacon

While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp at the edges, about 7-9 minutes. If the pan is very dry, add 1 tablespoon butter after the bacon has released some fat to prevent sticking.

Aromatics

Add the smashed garlic cloves and the white and light-green parts of the slivered scallions to the bacon pan for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking to soften and flavor the fat. Do not let garlic brown. Remove and discard the garlic cloves. If the bacon produced an excessive amount of fat (more than ~3 tablespoons), spoon out and reserve 1-2 tablespoons of fat in the pan for flavor; discard the rest or reserve for other uses.

Make egg-cream mixture

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, heavy cream, finely grated Parmesan (3 tablespoons), kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until smooth and slightly frothy. This mixture will form the silky carbonara sauce when combined with hot pasta and bacon fat.

Temper and combine

With the skillet off the heat (very important to avoid scrambling the eggs), add about 1/2 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to the egg-cream mixture while whisking constantly to gently warm it (tempering). Then add the drained, hot spaghetti directly into the skillet with the bacon and scallions. Toss to coat the pasta in the bacon fat. Remove the skillet from the heat, and immediately pour the tempered egg-cream mixture over the pasta, using tongs or a pasta fork to quickly and continuously toss or stir so the eggs thicken into a smooth sauce rather than scramble. Add more reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to reach a glossy, silky consistency (usually 1/4–3/4 cup extra).

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the 2 tablespoons coarsely grated Parmesan if you want a slightly thicker, cheesier finish.

Add scallion tops and serve

Transfer the carbonara to warmed bowls or plates. Scatter the reserved dark green slivered scallion tops and optional chopped parsley over each portion. Finish with a final crack of black pepper and a light sprinkle of the remaining grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Leftovers: Carbonara is best fresh. To reheat, loosen with a splash of milk or cream in a skillet over low heat, stirring gently until warmed through.