Spaghetti Carbonara

Scale the recipe

Ingredients

• Spaghetti
  $ per oz · prices vary by store
• Guanciale or pancetta, cut into lardons
  $ per oz · prices vary by store
• Eggs, whole
  $ per egg · prices vary by store
• Egg yolks
  $ per yolk · prices vary by store
• Pecorino Romano, finely grated
  $ per oz · prices vary by store
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
  $ per oz · prices vary by store
• Black pepper, coarsely cracked
  $ per tsp · prices vary by store
• Salt, for the pasta water
  $ per tbsp · prices vary by store

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously, about of salt per gallon of water.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the , the , both grated cheeses, and most of the black pepper until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
3. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente, per the package directions.
4. Meanwhile, place the guanciale in a large cold skillet and set over medium heat. Render, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat.
5. Before draining, scoop out about a cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the spaghetti.
6. Add the hot spaghetti to the skillet with the guanciale and toss to coat every strand in the rendered fat.
7. Working quickly off the heat, pour the egg-and-cheese mixture over the pasta and toss constantly, adding splashes of the hot pasta water a little at a time until a glossy, clinging sauce forms. If the sauce looks lumpy or tight, it needs more pasta water and faster tossing, not more heat.
8. Serve immediately in warm bowls with extra grated pecorino and a final crack of black pepper.