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    Pasta · Recipe · Rome · Reference page

    Spaghetti alla carbonara

    Spaghetti tossed off the heat with eggs, pecorino romano, Parmesan, black pepper and pancetta fried in garlic-scented oil. This version for two is Felicity Cloake's, from her book Perfect Too.

    Fine ink and watercolor illustration of Spaghetti alla carbonara.
    Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.
    Servings
    2
    Preparation
    10 min
    Cooking
    15 min
    Total
    25 min
    Difficulty
    Easy

    Equipment

    • Large pan for the pasta
    • Large frying pan
    • Bowl and fork for the eggs; two serving bowls
    Servings2

    Ingredients

    Shopping list

    Method

    1. Warm two serving bowls in a low oven or with hot water from the kettle.

      Why The sauce sets on contact with heat; warm bowls keep it creamy without further cooking.

    2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the garlic until well coloured but not burnt, then take it out and discard it. Cook the pancetta in the garlic oil until translucent and golden, without browning.

    3. Boil the spaghetti in plenty of salted water until al dente.

    4. Beat the eggs and extra yolk, then stir in the pecorino and most of the Parmesan, keeping a little for the top. Add plenty of black pepper.

    5. Keep a small cupful of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Toss it in the pancetta pan so every strand is coated in fat.

    6. Take the pan off the heat, pour in the egg mixture and toss quickly. As soon as it starts to thicken, add a splash of pasta water to loosen it.

      Why Off the heat, the residual warmth of the pasta thickens the eggs into a sauce without scrambling them.

    7. Divide between the warm bowls, add nutmeg if using, more pepper and the reserved Parmesan, and serve at once.

    Substitutions

    • Pancetta → Guanciale (cured pork cheek), which many Roman cooks prefer.
    • Half Parmesan → All pecorino romano, for a sharper, saltier sauce.

    Common mistakes

    • Adding the eggs over the heat: they scramble.
    • Letting the pasta cool before the eggs go in: the sauce stays raw and runny.
    • Browning the pancetta hard: it turns dry and bitter.

    Storage & reheating

    Eat at once; carbonara does not reheat.

    Safety

    The eggs are only lightly cooked by the heat of the pasta. People at higher risk (pregnant women, young children, older people, anyone with weak immunity) should follow their national advice on lightly cooked eggs.

    Allergens

    Gluten · Egg · Milk

    Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

    A modern Roman classic

    The atlas has not yet opened a documented source on the origin of carbonara and makes no claim about who invented it or when. Felicity Cloake's version, from her book Perfect Too, uses pancetta, two eggs plus a yolk, and equal parts pecorino romano and Parmesan; like cacio e pepe, it relies on pasta water and grated cheese to make the sauce.

    [1]

    Eggs without scrambling

    Cloake names the problem: adding raw eggs to hot pasta without scrambling them, so the sauce thickens creamily. Her answer is a very short exposure to heat. The drained pasta is tossed in the pancetta fat, the pan comes off the heat, the egg and cheese mixture goes in and is tossed fast, and a splash of pasta water loosens it as soon as it begins to thicken. Warm bowls finish the job.

    [1]

    How it connects

    Place

    • origin Rome In preparation

    Pasta shape

    Recipe

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