Welcome » Spaghetti Carbonara

Authentic spaghetti carbonara is easy to make, but the ingredients and technique are pretty precise. Guanciale (GOO-on-cha-lay) and pancetta are close enough in nature to interchange because they are both cured in a smoke-free environment. Guanciale is salt-cured pork jowl or cheek, deriving its name from guancia, which is Italian for “cheek.” Its salt curing process traditionally includes curing the pork jowl or cheek with a variety of spices. Pancetta is pork belly cured with salt and pepper.

American bacon, on the other hand, is brined and smoked. All that robust flavor is entirely out of place with spaghetti carbonara. Stay away from the bacon! If your goal is authenticity, use guanciale if you can find it, and pancetta if you can’t.

Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Servings: 6
Calories per: 397
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 15 min
Difficulty: Easy

WHAT YOU NEED	WHAT TO DO	WHY
4 quarts tap water 16 ounces dry spaghetti 4 teaspoons sea salt, fine	Pasta: In a covered 5-quart tri-ply stockpot, bring water to a rolling boil (10-12 minutes) over high heat. Add pasta and salt and give a big stir with a fork to separate the strands. When boiling resumes, reduce heat to hold at a low rolling boil until pasta is al dente (as per package). Meanwhile…	Starting now syncs it with the completion of the recipe. Turbulent water helps prevent gummy pasta. Adding salt after water is hot reduces metal pitting.
2 ounces Pecorino Romano 2 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, fine 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, ground	Sauce: In a 3-quart bowl, whisk all together; set aside.	Pecorino Romano is most faithful to tradition, but Parmigiano-Reggiano can also be used. Whisking the cheese with the eggs now helps protect the eggs against curdling in the final step.
2 ounces guanciale or pancetta, diced	In a 12-inch ceramic nonstick over medium-low heat, render the guanciale fat (~9 minutes). Remove from heat. Measure out 2 tablespoons hot pasta water; add to pan and swirl. Promptly drain spaghetti thoroughly in a mesh strainer, giving vigorous shakes; add to the guanciale. With big tongs, toss to coat the pasta in fat (~15 seconds).	Adding a little hot pasta water helps moderate pan heat, reducing the risk of curdling the eggs. [/recipe-notes]
	Pour in the egg mixture while continuing to toss the pasta until every strand is coated and glistening (~30 seconds). Serve promptly in big, beautiful pasta bowls!	Keeping the pasta and egg mixture moving helps prevent hot spots, reducing the risk of curdling the eggs.