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Authentic Carbonara Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 77 reviews

A traditional Italian carbonara recipe featuring crispy guanciale, a creamy egg and pecorino sabayon sauce, and perfectly cooked mezzi rigatoni or spaghetti. This authentic dish is rich, flavorful, and made without cream, relying on technique and quality ingredients to achieve its classic texture and taste.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat

  • 340g guanciale, rind removed

Eggs and Cheese

  • 2 whole eggs
  • 5–6 egg yolks (extra whites can be frozen for later use)
  • 150g pecorino romano, grated, plus extra for serving

Pasta

  • 400g mezzi rigatoni or spaghetti

Other

  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt (for pasta water)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the guanciale: Remove the rind from the guanciale and discard it. Cut the guanciale into ½cm-thick slices, then into thick strips. Fry the guanciale slowly in a pan over low heat for 10-15 minutes to render the fat and achieve a crisp, golden texture. Remove the guanciale from the fat with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Dispose of half the fat in the pan, keeping the rest for later use.
  2. Make the sabayon sauce: In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the 2 whole eggs, 5-6 egg yolks, grated pecorino romano, a generous twist of black pepper, and the reserved guanciale fat. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency, ideally reaching 64°C. Avoid boiling the water to prevent scrambling the eggs.
  3. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the mezzi rigatoni or spaghetti according to the package instructions until al dente. Stir occasionally. Reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water before draining.
  4. Combine pasta and guanciale fat: Place the drained pasta back into the pan used to cook the guanciale. Toss the pasta in the remaining guanciale fat over low heat to coat thoroughly. Remove the pan from heat.
  5. Finish the sauce: Add the sabayon sauce to the pasta along with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen the mixture and create a creamy, saucy texture. Stir and toss the pasta to ensure even coating.
  6. Add guanciale and serve: Fold in the crispy guanciale pieces and add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately in large pasta bowls, topped with extra grated pecorino romano cheese.

Notes

  • Guanciale is a traditional cured pork cheek and is preferred over pancetta or bacon for authentic flavor.
  • Be careful not to scramble the eggs when making the sabayon; keep water at a gentle simmer.
  • Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust the sauce consistency as needed.
  • Use freshly grated pecorino romano for best taste.
  • Extra egg whites can be frozen for other recipes to reduce waste.
  • Serve immediately as the sauce can thicken and dry if left standing.

Keywords: carbonara, authentic carbonara recipe, guanciale, Italian pasta, pecorino romano, creamy carbonara sauce, traditional Italian pasta

Find it online: https://spatulaqueen.com/authentic-carbonara-recipe/