Carbonara Recipe

Grate cheese and separate eggs

Finely grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Pecorino) and place in a bowl. Separate 6 egg yolks into a mixing bowl and add 1 whole egg. Whisk gently to combine until smooth.

Crack and measure black pepper: grind 2 tsp freshly to yield strong aromatics. Cut guanciale into roughly 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons coarse salt (it should taste like seawater). Add 400 g spaghetti and cook until very al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions).

Before draining, ladle and reserve 1 cup (about 240 ml) of the starchy pasta cooking water. Do not rinse pasta.

Heat skillet

While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. If your guanciale is very lean, add 1 tsp olive oil to help start rendering; otherwise skip oil.

Add the diced guanciale to the warm skillet in a single layer. Render gently over medium to medium-low heat until fat is translucent and pieces are crisp and golden, about 8–10 minutes. Stir occasionally to render evenly.

When guanciale is crisp, remove pan from heat. Leave the rendered fat in the pan; reduce temperature or set aside so it is warm but not smoking.

To the bowl with egg yolks, whole egg, and grated cheese add the 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp fine salt. Whisk until a thick, cohesive paste forms. The mixture should be creamy and slightly loose enough to coat pasta when thinned with hot pasta water.

Temper the egg mixture: add 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved hot pasta water to the eggs while whisking constantly to raise their temperature and avoid scrambling when combined with the pasta.

Return the skillet with guanciale and its fat to low heat. Add drained pasta directly into the skillet and toss quickly to coat the strands in fat. If your skillet is small, transfer guanciale and fat to the pasta pot instead.

Remove skillet from direct heat (work off-heat to avoid cooking eggs). Pour the tempered egg-and-cheese mixture over the hot pasta and toss vigorously with tongs or a fork-and-spoon. Add additional reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce becomes glossy and clings to the pasta. Use roughly 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the reserved water as needed. The residual heat will gently cook the eggs into a silky, emulsified sauce — do not return to high heat or eggs will scramble.

Taste and adjust seasoning: if needed add a small pinch of salt, but remember guanciale and cheese are salty already. Add more freshly ground black pepper for characteristic flavor.

Plate immediately, dividing among 4 servings. Top each portion with extra grated cheese (about 2 tbsp total divided) and an extra crack of black pepper. Serve hot.