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a plate of carbonara on a white table with a fork.
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4.95 from 18 votes

Traditional Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Creamy and salty with a savory finish, our Traditional Spaghetti alla Carbonara is an easy pasta recipe that requires just a handful of ingredients – pasta, guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, and salt and pepper. With simple yet quality ingredients, this creamy carbonara recipe is an elegant and decadent dish sure to impress with minimal effort.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: food and drink, Main
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 30 Minute Meals, carbonara, carbonara recipe, Easy pasta recipes, Pasta Recipes, Quick pasta recipes
Servings: 4 sevings
Calories: 553kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh spaghetti
  • 8 oz guanciale diced
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup pecorino romano grated
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite).
    Do not drain the pasta.
  • Place guanciale in a large skillet or frying pan and cook on medium heat. Start with a cold pan so that the fat renders out slowly, resulting in a tender chew. Cook the meat until it is browned but not crispy, about 6-7 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and three-quarters of the grated pecorino.
  • Once the guanciale is cooked, remove from the heat and add the pepper.
  • Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the guanciale. Toss until the spaghetti is coated with the fat. Remove from heat and add about a ⅓ cup of the pasta water.
  • While stirring and tossing the pasta, pour in the eggs, continuing to toss until the spaghetti is well-coated and glossy.
  • If the pasta seems a bit dry, add a few splashes of pasta water and continue to toss to get a creamy consistency.
  • To serve, use tongs to pick up a good serving of pasta. Place the tongs on a large spoon and twist to wrap them in the spaghetti. Place the spaghetti on a plate while twisting and slowly release the tongs, leaving a serving that resembles a bird’s nest. Sprinkle with additional pecorino Romano and black pepper.

Video

Notes

Scroll up to view and visual walk-through of the recipe.
Guanciale: When cooking the guanciale, start with a cold pan then turn on the heat. This allows the meat to slowly render out the fat, which results in a crisp, yet still tender bite to the meat.
Ensuring a Creamy Carbonara: To prevent the eggs from scrambling and getting a creamy carbonara, ensure the pan is not too hot when adding the egg mixture. When you add the pasta water, if it sizzles or is boiling, wait a minute or two to add the eggs. You want the water hot enough to melt the cheese but not too hot that the eggs scramble. If the eggs do scramble, unfortunately, there is not way to recover the sauce. It will still taste good, but the texture will be off.
Storage and reheating: Due to the delicacy of the carbonara sauce, you will not be able to maintain the consistency and texture of the carbonara when using as leftovers.
Substitutions
Guanciale - the most similar substitution for the guanciale is pancetta, however, pork belly or bacon will work as well. 
Spaghetti - long noodle pastas work best with carbonara. Our favorite alternatives are bucatini, fettuccine, and pappardelle. 
Pecorino Romano - Parmigiano-Reggiano is the only other cheese we would suggest. Ensure it is freshly grated as many commercially grated cheeses contain additives that can affect the quality of the recipe.
*our original version of this recipe contained garlic, however, we removed it from the recipe as it was not an authentic interpretation of Italian carbonara. This was updated in 2024.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 221mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 3mg