Pasta alla Carbonara

Pasta alla Carbonara is a delectable and quite simple pasta dish that is a cornerstone of the Roman cuisine. There's not a restaurant in Rome that doesn't serve it. Follow my simple tips and it'll be perfect every time!

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword carbonara, guanciale, pasta, pork jowl

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 3543kcal

Author Wendy

Ingredients

400 grams Penne
200 grams Guanciale
1 Eggs preferably free range & organic
3 Egg yolks preferably free range & organic
100 grams Grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmeggiano Reggiano
½ tablespoon Freshly grated black pepper

Metric - U.S. Customary

Instructions

Finely cube the guanciale.
In a saucepan large enough to hold the pasta, cook the guanciale over a very low flame until crisp and crunchy.
Whisk the eggs, cheese and black pepper together with a fork until it's creamy.
Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to package instructions, until al dente.
Drain the pasta, but reserve a cup of the cooking water.
Reheat the guanciale, and quickly toss in the pasta until fully coated.
Mix in in the egg mixture until creamy.
If the pasta is too dry add some pasta cooking water, by the tablespoonful.
Sprinkle lightly with more grated cheese.
Place in a serving dish and serve.

Notes

Pasta alla Carbonara is a cornerstone of the Roman cuisine. There's not a restaurant in Rome that doesn't serve it!

Guanciale (pork jowl) adds amazing texture and flavor wherever it's used. It should be cut into tiny cubes or narrow, one inch long strips before it's cooked. Place the guanciale in a sauce pan and cook it on the lowest flame possible, and very, very slowly. You want the guanciale to be crunchy on the outside but melted on the inside. There's very little meat on pork jowl so the fat in these cubes or small strips needs to be almost liquefied on the inside. Otherwise you'll have the sensation that you are chewing on a piece of raw fat which is unpleasant.

Another point pertains to the eggs you use. Fresh organic eggs are undoubtedly preferable when possible. Add the egg mixture to the pasta just until coated; never cook the eggs. The eggs should be warmed through but still completely creamy. The more egg yolks the better; I generally use one whole egg to two or three egg yolks.

Freshly grated black pepper is preferable to store bought, already grated, black pepper.

You can use either freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese or freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano; my preference is Pecorino Romano because it has a richer, somewhat saltier flavor.

The best pasta to use is rigatoni, penne or spaghetti; use a good Italian pasta like Garofalo as it really makes a difference.

If you keep these few pointers and tips in mind you can prepare a perfect Pasta Carbonara in just about the same amount of time it takes to cook the pasta.

Nutrition