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Few dishes embody the simplicity and elegance of Italian cuisine, quite like pasta alla carbonara. This classic Roman dish requires just a few simple ingredients—pasta, guanciale (cured pork cheek), garlic, eggs, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper—but mastering the technique is key to its creamy, luxurious sauce. The authentic version has been reimagined countless times, with some using garlic like this one. Ready in just 30 minutes, this indulgent dish is perfect for a quick yet satisfying meal. Follow our recipe to experience Carbonara as it’s made in Rome—buon appetito!
Classic pasta alla carbonara, with al dente spaghetti, garlic, guanciale, eggs, and Pecorino Romano, has big, bold Italian flavors in every delicious forkful.
A classic recipe: This delicious dish comes from the heart of Italy and it’s a well-known example of authentic Italian cuisine. So delicious: The heavenly blend of salty, meaty guanciale, aromatic garlic, rich eggs, and savory parmesan cheese is so good with spaghetti. Easy to prepare: Cook the spaghetti and, at the same time, prepare the carbonara sauce, then simply combine the two. A speedy dish: You can easily make pasta alla carbonara in just half an hour, including both prep time and cook time.
Spaghetti Carbonara Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Spaghetti: You can use a similar type of pasta if preferred. Make sure you weigh it digitally for the most accurate measurement. Guanciale: Cured pork jowls or pork cheeks. These add a salty, meaty element to the dish. Garlic: I like to use plenty of fresh garlic in my carbonara recipe, perhaps 6 cloves. Eggs: To bind the sauce together and add a rich taste. Pecorino Romano: Adds a cheesy flavor to the creamy sauce.
How to Make Pasta Carbonara
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the spaghetti: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, then drain the spaghetti, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water from the pasta pot. Cook the guanciale: While the pasta cooks, sauté the guanciale in a large skillet until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Add the garlic to the guanciale fat left in the skillet and then add the meat back in and stir. Add the pasta: Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet and toss to combine. Add the cheese and eggs: Whisk the eggs and cheese together. Add the egg mixture slowly, tossing gently while the cheese mixture warms up and becomes a smooth, creamy sauce. Add a little pasta cooking water to get the consistency just right. Serve and enjoy: Serve this spaghetti carbonara recipe immediately, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if liked. Offer extra parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper at the table.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free spaghetti. Guanciale: You can use guanciale or pancetta in pasta alla carbonara, as they’re similar in looks, saltiness and flavor profile. If you can’t find either, thick-cut bacon will work at a pinch. Pecorino Romano: You can substitute grated parmesan cheese or even use a mix of parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) and pecorino Romano for more depth of flavor. Eggs: Although some Italian recipes use egg yolks only, others use a whole egg. You can make yours either way. Add green peas: A handful of peas adds a pop of vibrant green and a contrasting flavor and texture.
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days. Freeze: Don’t freeze this dish – the pasta will get too soft, the guanciale will lose flavor. Reheat: The sauce might separate when reheating, but if you have leftovers, the best way to reheat is in a skillet on low heat, adding a few tablespoons of hot water and constantly stirring with tongs to re-emulsify the sauce.
Top Tips
Perfect timing: This recipe comes together very quickly when the pasta and the guanciale/carbonara sauce are started simultaneously. Don’t scramble the eggs: Temper the eggs by mixing them with a bit of pasta water before combining them with the hot pasta. Turn off the heat to gently cook the eggs with residual heat. Watch the guanciale or pancetta: When the guanciale has cooked to translucent in color, it will start to crisp and brown quickly – keep your eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara FAQs
What does “carbonara” mean?
Carbonara denotes an Italian sauce made with cured pork, cheese and egg. The literal meaning of the word “carbonara” is coal miner’s wife, as “carbone” means coal. Some believe the dish was created as a meal for Italian coal miners, while others claim the dish used to be cooked on charcoal grills. A third possibility is that “carbonara” refers to the freshly milled black pepper.
Why is my sauce clumpy or gritty?
A gritty or clumpy sauce might happen if the cheese isn’t finely grated or if the pasta water isn’t hot enough to melt it smoothly. Make sure the parmesan cheese is grated finely, and use starchy pasta water to emulsify your sauce.
Why is my carbonara sauce too watery?
If the sauce seems too thin, it might need more cheese or a little more time to emulsify. Keep stirring the sauce continuously and allow the starch in the pasta water to thicken it up.
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil over high heat, then add the spaghetti. Start working on the remaining ingredients while this pasta cooks for about 10 minutes or until al dente.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk or mix the eggs with the Pecorino Romano.
In a large skillet over a medium-high heat, add the guanciale and sauté until it just starts to crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and then add the garlic to the hot fat and cook for 1 minute or just until softened.
Turn off the heat and add the guanciale back into the skillet and mix thoroughly.
Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, take the pan off the heat and reserve ½ to 1 full cup of pasta cooking water.
Strain the cooked pasta with a colander and set it next to your skillet.
Using a pasta fork, add the cooked pasta directly into the skillet and toss to combine.
Using tongs or a spatula to gently stir the cooked guanciale and pasta, slowly add the egg/cheese mixture, gently tossing the pasta while the egg mixture starts to warm.
If the pasta looks too dry, add a little past cooking water. Note: The heat from the skillet and the cooked pasta will warm and cook the egg mixture, creating a soft, creamy ‘sauce’ once fully combined.
Serve immediately, offering additional grated Pecorino Romano and freshly grated black pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if liked.
Notes
Perfect timing: This recipe comes together very quickly when the pasta and the guanciale/carbonara sauce are started simultaneously. Don’t scramble the eggs: Temper the eggs by mixing them with a bit of pasta water before combining them with the hot pasta. Turn off the heat to gently cook the eggs with residual heat. Watch the guanciale or pancetta: When the guanciale has cooked to translucent in color, it will start to crisp and brown quickly – keep your eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Serve up this mouthwatering pasta alla carbonara and enjoy all the compliments you’re sure to get. The wonderful combination of al dente spaghetti, aromatic garlic and black pepper, salty parmesan cheese, meaty guanciale or pancetta and rich eggs makes the dish truly delicious. This is one of Italy’s best-known dishes and this authentic recipe is a hundred times better than pairing spaghetti with a jar of sauce.
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This carbonara is next-level creamy. The perfect balance of richness and flavor!