Pasta & Italian

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

★★★★½ (4.8)

A silky Roman classic made with just eggs, cheese, cured pork, and pasta water, no cream needed. It looks fancy but comes together in the time it takes to boil the noodles.

10 min Prep

20 min Cook

30 min Total

4 Servings

Ready in 30 minutes with pantry-friendly ingredients
No cream, just eggs and cheese for an authentic silky sauce
Restaurant-quality result using one skillet and one pot

1 lb (16 oz) spaghetti
8 oz pancetta or guanciale, diced small
4 large eggs
1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to finish
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt (for pasta water)

Bring a large pot (at least 6 quarts) of water to a rolling boil and stir in 1 tbsp of salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, and 1 tsp black pepper until smooth; set aside near the stove.
Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook 1 minute less than the package directions state, stirring occasionally, until just past al dente (it should still have a firm bite in the center).
While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the diced pancetta.
Cook the pancetta for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and golden and has released its fat; turn off the heat.
Using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot into the skillet with the pancetta, letting some pasta water cling to the noodles; reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining anything else.
Toss the pasta and pancetta together off the heat for 30 seconds so the pan cools slightly (this prevents the eggs from scrambling in the next step).
Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta and toss constantly and vigorously with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water a little at a time, until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand like a thin custard.
Check the texture: if the sauce looks too thick or clumpy, add another splash of pasta water and toss again until silky; if it looks watery and thin, keep tossing over very low residual heat for another 30 seconds.
Serve immediately in warmed bowls topped with extra black pepper and a little more grated cheese; carbonara does not reheat well, so plan to eat it right away.

Take the skillet off the heat before adding the egg mixture; direct heat will scramble the eggs into curds instead of a smooth sauce.

Reserve extra starchy pasta water before draining, since it is the only thing that loosens the sauce without breaking it.