Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish hailing from Rome. It only requires 5 ingredients (plus salt for the pasta water) and takes less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish. It's perfect for any weeknight when you're craving pure comfort.
1cupfreshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or ⅔ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1teaspooncoarsely ground black pepper
Kosher saltfor pasta water
1poundspaghetti
8ouncesguanciale, bacon, or pancetta,diced
4clovesgarlic,minced (optional)
Instructions
Beat the eggs with the cheese and black pepper. The mixture should be fairly thick. Set aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is cooking, add the guanciale to a cold skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it's crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic (if using) and cook for another 15 to 30 seconds, stirring. Remove the pan from the heat.
Off the heat, add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan of guanciale, and pour the egg mixture over the top. Toss the spaghetti with the egg/cheese mixture and crispy guanciale, quickly so the eggs thicken and coat the spaghetti evenly, but do not scramble. Serve immediately.
Notes
Unfortunately this is not a dish that can be made ahead of time. It tastes best when you eat it immediately after making it. It also does not reheat well. I would suggest only making as much spaghetti alla carbonara as you plan to eat that day.
Although the recipe serves 4, it can be modified to accommodate less servings. The recipe is easily divisible by 4. Use 4 ounces spaghetti, 2 ounces guanciale, 1 clove garlic (optional), 1 egg, ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Pecorino Romano cheese, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to make a single serving to satisfy a craving.
Pecorino Romano is a lot saltier than Parmigiano-Reggiano. I've tried this recipe using a whole cup of Pecorino Romano and found it was too salty for my liking (especially because the bacon/pancetta/guanciale is also salty), but everyone is different. Feel free to add more if you prefer.