Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 6 oz guanciale (or pancetta), cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 4 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs
• 1.5 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Reserved pasta water

Method

1. Cook: Cook pasta. Reserve 1.5 cups pasta water.

2. Render: Render guanciale in a cold skillet over medium heat until crispy and fat is rendered (8 min). Remove from heat.

3. Whisk: Whisk yolks, whole eggs, and Pecorino together in a bowl.

4. Add: Add hot pasta to the guanciale pan (OFF heat). Toss to coat in fat.

5. Pour: Pour egg-cheese mixture over pasta. Toss vigorously, adding pasta water a splash at a time, until a creamy, glossy sauce forms. The residual heat cooks the eggs gently without scrambling.

6. Season: Season with generous black pepper. Serve immediately.

What You're Practicing

• The #1 mistake: scrambling the eggs. The pan must be OFF heat when you add the egg mixture.
• Guanciale (cured pork jowl) is traditional. Pancetta works. Bacon is a last resort (too smoky).
• This is an emulsion of egg yolk fat + rendered pork fat + starchy water + cheese. Same science as hollandaise, different application.