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a wide bowl of glossy spaghetti carbonara twirled into a nest, crispy pancetta and cracked black pepper on top, a dusting of grated Parmesan, on a rustic wooden table with a linen napkin, natural window light, shallow depth of field, landscape orientation

Spaghetti Carbonara

Classic Roman carbonara features crispy pancetta, creamy eggs and Parmesan cheese that cling to the spaghetti to create a sauce that requires no cream.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 6 oz pancetta diced
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tsp salt for pasta water

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
  2. While the pasta cooks, fry the pancetta with the smashed garlic in a cold skillet over medium heat until crisp, then discard the garlic.
  3. Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, Parmesan, and black pepper together in a bowl.
  4. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the pancetta off the heat, tossing to coat in the rendered fat.
  5. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and toss constantly, adding splashes of reserved pasta water until the sauce turns silky.
  6. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and more black pepper on top.

Notes

Work off the heat when adding the eggs so they turn creamy instead of scrambling.