Carbonara Bucatini Recipe

Boil water

Bring a large pot with at least 4 quarts (≈4 liters) of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon coarse salt once boiling.

Cook bucatini

Add 1 lb bucatini and cook until very al dente (1–2 minutes less than package instructions), usually 8–10 minutes depending on brand. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Reserve 1 to 1¼ cups of very hot pasta cooking water before draining. Do not rinse. Drain pasta, leaving it hot.

Render pancetta

While pasta water comes to a boil and during the last 5–8 minutes of pasta cooking, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add diced pancetta (or guanciale). If your pancetta is very lean, add 1 teaspoon olive oil; otherwise start without oil.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the meat is crisp but not burnt, about 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat if browning too quickly. When crisp, remove skillet from heat and set aside but keep warm; leave rendered fat in the pan to flavor the pasta.

Prepare egg-cheese mixture

In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 large egg yolks and 1 large whole egg until smooth. Whisk in 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano and 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan until a thick, pasty emulsion forms. Add 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper and mix. The mixture will be thick — this is normal.

Temper with pasta water

Stir in about 1/4 cup of the reserved very hot pasta water to loosen the egg-cheese mixture and raise its temperature. This helps prevent scrambling when combined with pasta.

Finish sauce with pasta

Return the pancetta skillet to very low heat (or keep just off heat). Add the hot, drained bucatini to the skillet and toss briefly to coat with rendered fat. Remove pan from heat completely. Working quickly, pour the egg-cheese mixture over the pasta and toss or stir vigorously with tongs or two forks. Add reserved hot pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time (totaling up to 1 cup), tossing constantly until the sauce becomes glossy and clings to the bucatini — a silky, creamy emulsion. If sauce appears too thick or begins to clump, add more hot pasta water a tablespoon at a time. Avoid direct heat under the pan while combining; residual heat and hot water will cook the eggs gently to a creamy texture without scrambling.

Season

Taste and adjust seasoning. Add up to 1/2 teaspoon additional freshly ground black pepper for bite. If needed, adjust salt carefully — the cheeses and pancetta are salty, so usually no extra salt is required.

Serve

Plate the carbonara immediately into warmed bowls. Sprinkle extra grated Pecorino (about 1/4 cup divided) over each serving and finish with a crack of black pepper. Serve hot.