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Spaghetti Carbonara

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Vincenzo Prosperi

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How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti carbonara recipe – original and approved by Romans! Before we start, the number one rule is simple –REAL SPAGHETTI CARBONARA RECIPE IS MADE WITH EGGS, NOT CREAM!

Combine fresh eggs, with crispy guanciale, salty pecorino cheese and pepper to create the perfect, classic Roman pasta dish, Carbonara. In this video recipe, I tested out my traditional version with some locals from Rome and they loved it! Make this classic the right way and I promise, your tastebuds will thank you.

Watch video recipe:

 

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA RECIPE | How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara

spaghetti-carbonara-recipe

Vincenzo’s Top Tips To Make Spaghetti Carbonara

Pasta water is KEY

The pasta water is the KEY to making the Spaghetti Carbonara recipe PERFECTLY! Don’t miss this step!! It will help to combine all the ingredients well and they will stick to the pasta better.

RIGHT pasta!

Make sure that your pasta is al dente

Be gentle, but fast!

In mixing, let it cook through but don’t let the eggs scramble or you will end up with a frittata!

spaghetti-carbonara-recipe

Spaghetti Carbonara

Print Recipe
4.70 from 26 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • large pot for cooking pasta
  • Chopping-board
  • knife
  • Large fry pan
  • Mixing bowl
  • fork
  • Ladle
  • Long set of tongs

Ingredients

  • 5 L Water, 21.134 cups
  • Pinch Rock salt
  • 300 grams Spaghetti, 10 oz. or Spaghettoni/Rigatoni/Paccheri
  • 150 grams Guanciale, 5.3 oz. Pig Cheek or Pancetta
  • 200 grams Pecorino cheese, 2 cups
  • 4 Eggs
  • Pepper

Instructions

  • Spaghetti carbonara takes just a short time to make so first up, boil the water to cook your pasta in a large pot.
  • Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions when it comes to time, making sure the pasta is al dente.
  • Cut the skin off the guanciale (making sure to leave the peppery/seasoned crust), then slice it into thin strips.
  • Put the large fry pan on the stove at a low to medium heat. For the spaghetti carbonara recipe to be just right, add the guanciale into the pan, let it cook very slowly and it will create its own delicious oil.
  • Let the guanciale simmer and crisp up very gently.
  • Get your mixing bowl and add 4 eggs, then whisk them really well.
  • Next, add the pecorino cheese to make this spaghetti carbonara recipe, and lots of pepper before mixing it together really well. This will create a scrumptious cream for you to add to your pasta.
  • Once the pasta has boiled to your preferred taste, using a set of tongs, take out the pasta from the boiling water and add it straight to the pan, making sure small drops of the water mix into the pan too.
  • Turn off the cook top, so the pasta and guanciale stop cooking.
  • Next, using the ladle, get a full scoop of pasta water out of the pot and add it to the egg and cheese cream, then mix through well using a fork.
  • Now, turn the cook top back on a low heat, add some pasta water to the pan, and now, pour the cream over the top, then mix it through using your tongs – be gentle, but fast! Let it cook through but don’t let the eggs scramble or you will end up with a frittata!
  • Keep mixing the cream through until it just starts to thicken, stir is through and then serve.
  • E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!

Video

How to serve Spaghetti Carbonara

Once you have served up your portions on individual flat plates, sprinkle some freshly cracked pepper over the top and make sure your guests eat it up right away.

 

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Recipe Rating




97 responses

  1. Dave

    5 stars
    It really was an experience to prepare this dish. Absolutely worth hunting down the right ingredients, and following your steps made it feel like a little holiday at home. The taste was authentic and simply delicious. Thank you, Vincenzo, for sharing such a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      Ciao Dave! This makes me so happy. Bravo for hunting down the real ingredients, that is the secret to authentic Carbonara. I am glad the recipe gave you a little Italian holiday at home. Grazie mille for giving my recipe a try! ❤️

      Reply
  2. Ben

    5 stars
    Siblime!!!!

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      Grazie mile Ben!

      Reply
  3. Harry

    What is the point in turning the pan off and then back on?
    Just turn the pan down to the desired temp and then do your cream etc.. seems a little backwards

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      I turn the pan off completely so the guanciale and pasta don’t overcook while I transfer the pasta and mix the egg cream with pasta water. You can just lower the heat if you’re confident, but turning it off is the safer way.

      Reply
      1. Ken Green

        12 years ago in Barga, I had Bosque carbonara with cremili mushrooms.
        Can you tell us how to incorporate them please 🙏🏼

        Reply
        1. Vincenzo’s Plate

          Ciao Ken! That sounds like an amazing experience. You can follow my Carbonara recipe and simply add sautéed mushrooms at the end. Slice and cook them in EVOO until golden, then mix them through the pasta right before adding the creamy egg and cheese mixture. Let me know if you give it a try!

          Reply
          1. Ken Green

            5 stars
            Making it tonight 😎

          2. Vincenzo’s Plate

            Love it! Let me know how your carbonara turns out, my friend!

  4. Philip Cooke

    4 stars
    Having employed several chefs in my career as a hotel manager the problem is with them is that they are wonderful in preparing food but not very good using their brain.The recipe says add a ladle full of pasta water to the egg and pecorino mix.Great but how big is the ladle ?They vary enormously in size.Then later, it says add SOME pasta water to the spaghetti and guanciale.Anyone know what the word some means ?5 ml or maybe 5 litre ? So depending how you determine these quanties will deternine whether its too runny,too thick or just right.If you are lucky enough and guess right you will get a wonderful meal.

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      Ciao Philip! Grazie mille for pointing this out, I appreciate your eye for detail.
      When the recipe says “a ladle full of pasta water,” it means about 60–80 ml.
      And when it says “add some pasta water,” it simply means a small splash, just enough to help the sauce become silky and creamy.

      Every pan and pasta behaves differently, so adjusting gradually is the real secret. Add more pasta water if you think the sauce needs loosening, and with practice you’ll quickly get the feel for that perfect creamy consistency. Buon appetito! 🍝

      Reply
  5. Simon

    4 stars
    Would using just the yolks and adding pasta water is a better way to make it creamier?

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      Ciao Simon! Yes, absolutely!
      Using just the egg yolks, pecorino and adding pasta water is one of the best ways to make spaghetti carbonara extra creamy.
      The yolks have more fat, which gives that rich, silky texture, and the starchy pasta water helps emulsify everything so it becomes creamy without needing cream. Hope this is helpful!

      Reply
  6. Dotsy

    Do you use just the yolks or the whole egg?, in the video it looks like you just use the yolks !

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      Ciao Dotsy! This is an older recipe where I used whole eggs. Over time, as I kept refining and perfecting my carbonara, I found that using egg yolks only gives a much richer, creamier result.
      You can find my more recent carbonara recipe here, where I show this updated approach step by step.

      https://www.vincenzosplate.com/spaghetti-alla-carbonara-recipe/

      Buon appetito! 🍝

      Reply
  7. joseph attard

    5 stars
    Very good many Thanks

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      You’re more than welcome my friend!

      Reply
  8. Harold McWay

    5 stars
    I haven’t had or made spaghetti carbonara for over a year. In fact, the last time was in a restaurant in the Campo De’ Fiore area during a visit to Rome. I just happened to have some Guanciale which is the best way to go for this recipe. I followed your recipe and tips paring the amounts down to serve two. One of the best was adding pasta water to the guanciale just before adding the pasta. No scrambled eggs. This will become my standard for this wonderful dish. (A note, I found the guanciale in the cheese drawer where it had a lengthy stay, but it was still good)
    Gratia Vincenzo…

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      Ciao Harold! Fantastico!👏
      You did everything exactly right, especially using guanciale and adding that pasta water at the perfect moment. That is the secret to creamy carbonara, no scrambled eggs, mamma mia!
      And the cheese drawer guanciale made me smile, when it is cured properly, it can surprise you in the best way 😉
      Grazie mille for trying my recipe, and enjoy every bite.

      Reply
  9. Alan T Perry

    Thank you for this recipe. Just made it and thoroughly enjoyed.

    May I tell you my most memorable carbonara experience?

    My wife and I were visiting her family in Hong Kong, and her sister had a piece of pancetta and announced that she expected me to make carbonara. I had made it 2 or 3 times before, always according to your instructions of course, so I was a bit dubious as to what I was signing up for.

    We went shopping at the local grocery store and could not find Pecorino, but we did find some Parmigiano Reggiano, so that would have to do. We also found some chifferi rigati, not a pasta shape I was familiar with, but it was La Molisana, so I was happy with the brand. But could I make reasonable carbonara with chifferi rigati, Parmigiano Reggiano and pancetta? I looked up your instructions.

    The stove was a two burner gas stove designed to hold either a western pot or a wok. So, a western pot for the pasta, and a wok for the pancetta and the finishing. So we grated the cheese, beat the eggs with chopsticks, added the pepper, cooked the pancetta and the pasta and then combined everything in the wok using cooking chopsticks. We served it in Chinese rice bowls and ate with chopsticks, so in fact the chifferi rigati turned out to be the perfect shape.

    Not your nonna’s carbonara, but I think not bad, and I don’t think I would have been embarrassed to serve it to you.

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      Ciao Alan! Thank you so much for trying the recipe, and what a fantastic story. I love hearing how people recreate Italian dishes all over the world.

      Cooking carbonara in Hong Kong with pancetta, Parmigiano Reggiano, chifferi rigati, a wok, and chopsticks, that is an amazing combination of cultures. Honestly, it sounds like you handled it beautifully. Sometimes we have to work with what we can find, and the most important thing is respecting the technique and the ingredients as much as possible.

      From what you described, I would absolutely not be embarrassed to sit at your table and enjoy it with you.
      Grazie mille for sharing this story with me, and keep cooking!

      Reply
  10. James Minor

    Absolutely fantastic! Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate

      You’re welcome my friend! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.

      Reply
    2. Mark

      I was just in Rome and had this for the first time and it was amazing. My first attempt was ok. I think I had too much cheese and maybe cooked the sauce too long. I also had to use pork belly. It wasn’t as flavourful as I had in Rome. I am not cook lol. I’ll try again.

      Reply
      1. Vincenzo’s Plate

        Ciao Mark! Ahhh Rome… the best place to fall in love with carbonara.
        First of all, do not worry, your first attempt being “ok” is already a great start! Carbonara takes a bit of practice.
        Try again, take your time, and you’ll get closer each time.

        Reply

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