Traditional Carbonara
Rich, creamy, and incredibly hearty, this traditional carbonara recipe is literally pure comfort in every bite. With just 5 ingredients, you’ll create a dish that’s simple yet luxurious in no time.
Ingredients
- 180 g spaghetti
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 g Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
- 50 g bacon (or guanciale, pancetta)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Salt (for pasta water)
Instructions
- Prepare the bacon: Slice the bacon into strips or small cubes. Cook in a pan over medium heat until crispy and golden. Remove from heat and set aside, reserving 1 tbsp of rendered fats for the sauce.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to boil, and cook the spaghetti to al dente (2 minutes less than the package instructions).
- Make the egg-cheese mixture: In a bowl, whisk eggs, grated Parmigiano, about 1 tbsp rendered fats from the bacon, and a generous amount of black pepper.
- Combine everything: Using the remaining rendered fats from the bacon, add in a splash of pasta water, and toss in the drained pasta. Mix in half amount of crispy bacon bits, and stir constantly.
- Coat the pasta with sauce: Off the heat, pour the egg-cheese mixture over the pasta, stirring rapidly. Add a splash of pasta water as necessary to emulsify into a creamy sauce. Toss to coat the pasta with sauce.
- Serve immediately: Transfer the carbonara to a serving plate, and garnish with extra grated Parmigiano, black pepper, and remaining crispy bacon bits.