Carbonara is the Roman pasta dish with the most room for error and the least tolerance for substitution. No cream. No garlic. No onion. No peas. Eggs, pecorino, guanciale (cured pork jowl), and black pepper. The technique — combining the hot pasta with the egg-cheese mixture off heat and adding pasta water to create a silky sauce — is the entire recipe.
Guanciale (cured pork jowl) is the traditional fat. It renders as it cooks, providing the cooking fat for the dish. Thick-cut bacon is the substitute. A tablespoon of lard or butter gets the pan going and prevents sticking. No seed oil touches this dish in any authentic version.
Pasta Carbonara Recipe
Ingredients
- 400g (14oz) spaghetti or rigatoni
- 150g guanciale (cured pork jowl) or thick-cut bacon, cut into small lardons
- 1 tbsp pasture-raised lard or grass-fed butter
- 2 whole eggs plus 2 additional egg yolks (4 yolks gives a richer sauce)
- 100g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano, very finely grated (plus extra to serve)
- Very generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper — more than seems reasonable
- Sea salt for the pasta water only
Method
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 200ml of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the guanciale or bacon lardons. Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden and the fat is rendered. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and finely grated pecorino until smooth. Add a generous amount of black pepper.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan with the guanciale (still off heat — this is important). Toss to coat in the rendered fat.
- Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta. Immediately begin tossing constantly, adding the reserved pasta water a splash at a time. The heat from the pasta and the starch in the cooking water emulsify the sauce.
- The carbonara is ready when it is glossy and creamy and coats the pasta without being scrambled. This takes 2-3 minutes of constant tossing.
- Serve immediately on warm plates. Top with more pecorino and black pepper.
Why no cream?
Authentic Roman carbonara contains no cream. The creaminess comes from the emulsification of egg yolks, pasta starch, and pasta water. Cream makes it heavier and hides the flavour of the other ingredients.
Is carbonara seed oil free?
Yes. Guanciale or bacon renders its own pork fat. A tablespoon of lard gets the pan started. No seed oils anywhere.
What if the eggs scramble?
Remove the pan from all heat sources before adding the egg mixture. If scrambling starts, add more pasta water immediately and toss more vigorously.
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