Spaghetti alla Carbonara
As the instigator of a Carbonara revolution, transforming the way this traditional dish is made around the world, I tried an endless number while in Rome. Given I have been cooking it for decades and not wanting to steer to far from the original I did my best to study how some of the best chefs in Rome made it. What a sacrifice!
Every year I attempt to make a carbonara that tops the last, but I think this 2023 spaghetti carbonara might just be my best one yet! It’s so creamy yet has a crunchy bite at the end. And I am going to teach you a great new cooking technique to get the perfect sauce.
Watch the Spaghetti alla Carbonara video recipe:
How to make SPAGHETTI alla Carbonara in 2023
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips
Use Different Types of Pasta
When it comes to carbonara, spaghetti is the classic pasta to use. Thick spaghetti, like bucatini, works perfectly for this recipe. My personal favorite is spaghettoni quadrato for any carbonara. However, so many different types of pasta will work for this dish, like rigatoni or even fresh pasta, so don’t be afraid to explore these too! The only pasta not really recommended to use is fresh pasta made with eggs because it will make it really heavy and hard to digest.
Pecorino to Pasta Ratio
If you’re increasing the recipe to feed more people, there’s an important cheese-to-pasta ratio to follow. For every 100 grams of pasta in this recipe, you must use at least 30 grams of grated pecorino romano. However, you can never go wrong with adding even more cheese than that, just never less!
Save the Egg Whites
With this recipe, you’ll be left with the egg whites from three eggs we won’t use in our cooking. But don’t waste food and throw them away! You can use them in other dishes! How about a perfect dessert for after you’re done with your carbonara dinner? You can save the egg whites to make amazing Amaretti cookies that will last in the freezer.
Cooking With Steam
I discovered an incredible cooking technique while traveling in Rome: to cook with steam heat! When you’re ready to add the cheese and egg cream to the pasta, place your pot of pasta water onto the stovetop. Then, place your pan right on top of the pot.
The steam from the pasta water will help heat the pan and melt the eggs and cheese into an incredibly creamy sauce. This method helps keep the pan off direct heat so we don’t cook the sauce too fast or threaten to burn it.
How to Serve Spaghetti alla Carbonara
When you plate your spaghetti alla carbonara, sprinkle even more pecorino cheese over top of it. Next, use a spoon to scoop up the leftover cheesy sauce and guanciale from the pan and add as much as you’d like to the pasta.
But we still need a crunch. Remember to save some your cooked guanciale for this very moment. Garnish the pasta with the crispy, crunchy guanciale to add even more texture to the dish. Finally, add freshly cracked pepper all around your pasta, and be generous with it!
Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe
Equipment
- Aluminum pan
- large pot
- knife
- fork
- Spoon
- Tongs
- wooden spoon
- Small bowls
- Plate
- Paper towels
- Spatula
- Cutting board
- Mug
Ingredients
- 11 oz Thick round spaghetti 300g
- 7 oz Guanciale 200g
- 4 Eggs
- 3 oz Pecorino Romano 90g
- Black pepper as much as required
- ½ tablespoon Rock Salt
Instructions
- Slice the guanciale into thin strips. In a large fry pan on medium-low heat, add the guanciale and cook until it's golden brown.
- Remove the guanciale and place it onto a plate covered with a paper towel to rest. Save the rendered guanciale fat in the pan to cook with later.
- In a large pot, boil water and add ½ tablespoon of rock salt. Then, add the spaghetti to the pot and cook for 13 minutes or follow your packet instructions.
- Separate 3 egg yolks and place the yolks in a small bowl. Then, crack a whole egg, with the egg whites included, into the bowl with the egg yolks. Beat the eggs together until combined and add freshly cracked black pepper and mix again.
- Gradually add pecorino romano cheese to the eggs. Mix and continue to add the pecorino until you have a nice thick cream.
- Put the pan back on medium-low heat with the guanciale oil. Using tongs, add the pasta to the pan and stir.
- Scoop up a mug full of pasta water and add some right away to the pasta then mix it through.
- Place your pot with the pasta water still inside on the stove and rest your pan on top of the pot. The steam will provide the heat to continue cooking the pasta.
- Add a touch more pasta water, a handful of your crunchy guanciale, and the pecorino romano and egg cream. Mix everything and add more pasta water to help thicken the sauce.
- Continue to add pasta water slowly until you can toss the pasta into the pan.
- Plate the carbonara and top with pecorino cheese and the leftover sauce from the pan. Garnish with the remaining guanciale you didn't add to the sauce and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper.
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
Want to try other creamy recipes?
- I’m sure you have never tried a creamier and cheesier pasta than my 4 CHEESE PASTA
- Another creamy pasta you should try PASTA ALLA NORCINA
Join my private exclusive Italian Tours “Italy Unexplored Tour” and experience the Real Italy like you have never seen before.
The tour is exclusive to only 10 passionate foodies and it’s very unique. (Click here to get more details)
Tempted? Watch the video below and enjoy the sightseeing of the greenest region in Europe
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/vincenzosplate
how many servings does this recipe make?
This carbonara recipe typically serves 3-4 people.
Vicenzo!! And where is your M-in-Law’s Ameretti Recipe? My egg whites are waiting
You can check the full recipe on this link. Let me know how it turns out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fin2eJzVdwA
Vincenzo, wow!! Thank you for so kindly sharing this carbonara technique. I am an amateur but have made and cooked pasta dishes for a long time and somehow never quite got a carbonara dish that I was 100% happy with. Well I made this dish using your technique described above today for my wife and I and it was just out of this world – a completely different thing altogether by what I have produced before. I truly appreciate your sharing what you have gathered like this – what joy it must have given to so many!
Warm regards,
Ian
Hello Ian! It brings me great joy to know that you and your wife enjoyed the dish and found it to be a completely new and delicious experience.
My partner is spaghetti obsessed. I made him this recipe last night and he said it was the best he ever tasted, even in Italy. I’m not the biggest spaghetti fan, but I loved it too and wish I kept the leftovers for myself today. I let him have them for work though. Will try your amaretti biscuits later with my left over egg whites.
I’m especially happy to hear that your partner said it was the best he ever tasted, even in Italy. That’s a high compliment, and I’m honored that he enjoyed it so much.
I’m glad you’re going to try my amaretti biscuits with your leftover egg whites. I think you’ll really enjoy them. They’re a delicious and versatile cookie that can be enjoyed on their own or with coffee or tea.
Thank you for sharing, Vincenzo! As usual, a great recipe! I have done it similarly before and I am always trying something new to improve it. The last change I made was to add an egg yolk confit on top of the served pasta. To balance the egg content, I adjusted the number of eggs to one per person or per 100g of pasta plus the whole egg. The egg yolk confit provides extra creaminess and creates a wow effect when you serve it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed my carbonara recipe. I love hearing about people’s creative interpretations of my recipes. It’s always fun to see how people put their own spin on things.
I think your idea of adding an egg yolk confit to the top of the pasta is brilliant! It would definitely add an extra layer of richness and creaminess, and it would definitely create a wow effect when you serve it.
That’s a great idea, and it will help to ensure that the pasta is not too rich.
Your recipe has definitely changed my perspective on carbonara. Firstly, I had been to restaurants where it was always served with cream and they were absolutely disgusting. But now, when I get to know your videos, you teach me the right way of making carbonara. I recreated both of your recipes from 2019 as well as in 2023, and wow! Words can’t express on how content I was with such a scrumptilicious dish, even my mom loved it to a full extent. By the way, the eggs I’ve used are light in colour instead of dark brown, so will they complement well with the cream and the dish in total? I would love to make other authentic Italian recipes in the foreseeable future.
Love from Malaysia.
I’m overjoyed to hear that my carbonara recipe has had such a positive impact on your perspective and culinary journey. It’s unfortunate that some restaurants serve carbonara with cream, which is not the traditional way and can indeed lead to disappointing results. I’m glad my videos have taught you the authentic and delicious way of making carbonara.
Absolutely incredible!!! Techniques matter. Treated myself to all the best ingredients which felt so expensive but for 40$ CND we fed 6 adults and 2 kids with leftovers so very affordable. More importantly it was super creamy and decadent!
Wow, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that you found the recipe incredible and had such a successful cooking experience! Indeed, when it comes to pasta dishes, the techniques make all the difference in achieving that perfect texture and flavor.
Fabulous! Just finished eating it. Will be doing it again. I used pancetta because thats all I had. Still great!
Pancetta is a great substitute for guanciale in carbonara, as it has a similar flavor and texture. It’s also a bit easier to find, which is a plus.
Flavor bomb! My husband commented that he could never get a meal like that around here( Adirondack of New York State). I traveled to Rochester(6 hrs) to visit my mom…made a trip to my favorite Italian import shop to buy the Italian Guancale, pecorino Romano and the spaghetti(coco in the blue package0. We raise our own chickens…so had plenty of fresh eggs.
That’s great to hear that you and your husband enjoyed my spaghetti alla carbonara recipe! I’m glad that you went to the trouble of finding authentic Italian ingredients, and I’m sure that the fresh eggs made a big difference in the flavor.
I’m also impressed that you traveled 6 hours to Rochester to get the ingredients! That’s dedication to good food!
Any chance you can do a video on making Guanciale at home. Finding a pig cheek may be as hard as finding Guanciale in the Adirondack..but I’m willing to give it a try.
Ciao! I’m glad you’re interested in making guanciale at home. It’s a delicious and rewarding process, and it’s not as difficult as you might think.
I appreciate your videos very much and I always follow your previous carbonara recipe! I love to add just a little finely chopped fresh parsley at the end – what do you think?
I think adding a little finely chopped fresh parsley at the end is a great idea. It adds a nice freshness and brightness to the dish.
I tried this the other week and it turned out great. However, what’s the average serving size for this? I need to scale this up and want to know approximately how many grams of spaghetti per person.
I’m delighted to hear that your spaghetti alla carbonara turned out great! The typical serving size for pasta is around 85-115 grams (3-4 ounces) per person.
This was a real hit with my family. I used fresh fettuccini noodles instead of spaghetti, but otherwise followed this simple, elegant recipe to a “t.” My hesitant 9 year old devoured it (and a little more than his share of crispy guanciale).
I will definitely be making this again!
I’m thrilled to hear it was a hit with your family! Fresh fettuccini is a fantastic twist, and it’s wonderful that even the hesitant 9-year-old enjoyed it—crispy guanciale and all. Here’s to many more successful rounds of spaghetti alla carbonara in your kitchen