Spaghetti carbonara

spaghetti carbonara · from Lazio · Primi & Pasta

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• 400 grams spaghetti
• 200 grams guanciale or, alternatively, pancetta, cut into small cubes
• 4 fresh egg yolks and 2 whole eggs
• 100 grams freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 50 grams freshly grated Parmesan
• freshly ground black pepper
• no salt for the sauce, since guanciale and cheese are already salty.

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of plenty of water to a boil and salt it.
2. Cook the spaghetti al dente.
3. While the pasta cooks, lay the guanciale in a cold non-stick pan and render it slowly over medium heat until it is crispy and the fat has rendered out, about 8 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat but keep the fat and the guanciale warm.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the egg yolks, the Pecorino and the Parmesan with a fork until a creamy mixture forms.
6. Stir in plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
7. When the spaghetti is done, reserve about half a cup of the starchy pasta water.
8. Drain the spaghetti and add it immediately to the still-warm pan with the guanciale and the rendered fat, tossing well.
9. Then transfer the spaghetti with the guanciale to the bowl with the egg-cheese mixture and toss quickly and vigorously with tongs or two forks, gradually adding some of the reserved pasta water until a silky, creamy sauce forms that coats the pasta.
10. The heat of the pasta cooks the eggs without scrambling them.
11. It is important that the mixture is not too hot and is not mixed directly over the stove, otherwise you get scrambled eggs.
12. Serve immediately on warmed plates and sprinkle with extra Pecorino and black pepper.