Rigatoni Carbonara Recipe
Rigatoni tossed in sauce made with eggs, crispy guanciale, pecorino and black pepper
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Ingredients
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Pasta & Cooking
Carbonara Sauce
Guanciale
Finishing
Method
Pasta & Cooking
- 1
Bring water to a boil
Fill a large pot with about 4–5 quarts (or enough for 1 lb pasta) of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt once boiling.
- 2
Cook rigatoni
Add 1 lb rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package directions). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- 3
Reserve pasta water and drain
Before draining, ladle out and reserve 1½ cups of the hot pasta cooking water. Drain the rigatoni in a colander and set aside briefly while you finish the sauce and guanciale.
Guanciale
- 4
Prepare and render guanciale
Cut 8 oz guanciale into ¼-inch dice or ½-inch lardons. Place in a cold skillet (cast-iron or heavy-bottomed) and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pieces are crisp and golden, about 8–10 minutes. If the guanciale seems very lean and fat rendering is insufficient, add 1 tsp olive oil at the start.
- 5
Carbonara Sauce
- 6
Make egg-cheese mixture
In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg until smooth. Add 1¼ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano, 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ tsp fine sea salt. Whisk until a thick, homogeneous paste forms. The mixture will be concentrated; loosen slightly with 1–2 tablespoons reserved pasta water if needed.
- 7
Temper the eggs (optional, for safety)
To reduce risk of scrambling, slowly whisk 2 tablespoons of hot reserved pasta water into the egg-cheese mixture to gently raise its temperature before combining with the pasta.
- 8
- 9
Finish the sauce
Remove the skillet from direct heat. Immediately pour the egg-and-cheese mixture over the warm rigatoni and quickly toss or stir vigorously with tongs or a large spoon to coat each piece. Add reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time (up to the reserved 1½ cups as needed) until the sauce becomes silky and clings to the pasta without looking curdled or watery. Work quickly — the residual heat will thicken the sauce into a creamy emulsion rather than scrambling the eggs.
- 10
Incorporate guanciale
Add about three-quarters of the crisp guanciale to the sauced rigatoni and toss to combine, reserving some for garnish.
Finishing
- 11
Adjust seasoning and plate
Taste and adjust seasoning: if needed add a pinch of salt (remember Pecorino and guanciale are salty) and more freshly ground black pepper to taste. Divide rigatoni among warm serving bowls.
- 12
Garnish and serve
Top each portion with the remaining crisp guanciale, an extra ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano divided among plates, and a generous crack of black pepper. Serve immediately so the sauce remains creamy.
