Hey friend! Welcome back to YangYummm. Today I want to share with you some Pasta Alla Carbonara, the perfect pasta dish for foodies. For this demonstration, I tried to stay as traditional as possible. I’ve watched dozens of top chefs and culinary superstars on TV make this classic carbonara dish over and over and I think I’ve finally mastered how to make it myself. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll be preparing this easy, yet impressive weeknight meal for you and your family for any occasion. The creamy sauce and salty pork fat is a combination that will make your taste buds soaring high in happiness. Just trust me; this recipe is super easy to follow and will have you enjoying this classic Italian dish in no time! Let’s get started, shall we?
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Ingredients and tools you’ll need
For this traditional carbonara recipe, you will need:
- 8 oz spaghetti pasta (about 227 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 oz guanciale (may use pancetta or bacon)
- 1 whole egg + 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (may use Parmigiano-Reggiano)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (OPTIONAL)
- generous cracks of freshly ground black pepper
Tools Needed:
- Large deep pan (like a sauté pan)
- Mixing bowl for cheese
- Large stock pot to cook pasta
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Ladle
- Box Grater
The steps to making carbonara pasta
There are only a few simple steps to making this classic dish. First, you’ll need to cook the spaghetti pasta in boiling water according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the guanciale to the pan and cook until it is crispy (about 10-15 minutes). Remove some of the guanciale for garnish later and add in some crushed red pepper flakes into the pan to infuse with the oil (optional). Once the pasta is cooked about 1-2 minutes before al dente, add it to the pan with the guanciale along with a ladleful of pasta water. Give it a good mix and toss to coat the pasta with the delicious pork fat. Take it off the heat before adding in the eggs.
Next, crack the egg and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk them together with some freshly grated pecorino romano cheese. Add about half a ladleful of pasta water into the egg mixture and give it a mix. Then, pour that egg mixture over the pasta and gently stir everything together until the eggs have cooked and formed a creamy sauce. Give it a few tosses in the pan to coat the pasta with the creamy sauce. Serve immediately with some crispy guanciale bits, freshly ground black pepper and some more pecorino romano on top. Delicious.
How to make Pasta Alla Carbonara: Step-By-Step Video Tutorial
Tips for making the perfect carbonara pasta dish
My secret is to make sure to get that guanciale as crispy as possible in order to provide some texture in the end as garnish. I love the rich and fatty flavor that guanciale brings to the table. It’s just totally unmatched when it comes to choosing which cut of pork to use for this dish. That’s why so many Italians love using it so much. It’s mostly made up of fat and has been cured and seasoned with other spices and aromatics like garlic and pepper. This is why you don’t even need to add any extra garlic to this dish!
If I were to make a list of my top 3 tips for making the perfect carbonara pasta, it would be this:
- Make sure to cook the guanciale as crispy as possible (without burning it)
- Use mostly egg yolks to make the creamy sauce
- Add a ladleful of pasta water to the pan as well as to the egg mixture (before tossing it all together) in order to help prevent the eggs from scrambling
Does real carbonara have cream?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. As any Italian would say to you, no no no and no. You don’t need any cream. Why use it when you can make such a beautifully rich and creamy sauce with natural ingredients? Authentic carbonara is made with absolutely no heavy cream. Just trust me on this. I think my imaginary Italian nonna would agree.
Do you put the whole egg in carbonara pasta?
To make a long story short, yes you can put in the whole egg. I’ve tested this theory several times making this dish with only whole eggs, only egg yolks, and both. I found that the best carbonara pasta is made with a hybrid mixture of whole eggs and egg yolks. I personally would recommend using as little whole eggs in that mixture as possible to make it super creamy.
Variations on the traditional carbonara recipe
This traditional carbonara recipe is really simple to follow and the results are heavenly. If you want to experiment with other ingredients, feel free to do so. But in my opinion, this is the best way to make carbonara pasta. If guanciale isn’t available, then pancetta would be your next best option! If not pancetta, then bacon!
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
A few words about Italian cuisine
In my opinion, Italian cuisine is all about ingredients: the quality and the quantity. I read so many books on Italian cuisine and watched dozens of TV shows showcasing Italian food. All of them stressed the importance of choosing the freshest and most beautifully colored produce/meats when cooking Italian food. As with anything else, simplicity goes a long way.
Pasta Alla Carbonara is one of those simple classic Italian dishes that one must master in order to learn more about the history and culture. I strive to master these simple techniques in cooking Italian cuisine as well as any other cuisines as I progress on my journey in becoming a master chef. Thank you for reading this post today and hope you continue to tag along with me in my journey. Let’s learn and eat delicious food together, yeah? Yummmy!
INGREDIENTS:
Spaghetti Pasta – Spaghetti is the traditional pasta shape used for a classic carbonara
Guanciale – Provides a rich and fatty flavor like no other cut of pork. This is the best option for an authentic carbonara pasta. Buy it from local Italian supermarkets or online.
Extra virgin olive oil – For added fat and flavor
Pecorino Romano – The main cheese used in a classic carbonara pasta (may use Parmigiano-Reggiano or both). Buy it from almost any local grocery store. They have good quality ones in Italian supermarkets, but you can find it in a regular nearby supermarket, like Food Emporium.
Whole Egg + Egg Yolks – I use a mixture of whole egg and egg yolks for my carbonara sauce to make it extra creamy
Black Pepper – For the extra kick and heat
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – (OPTIONAL) I like to add this for added heat and spicy flavor
Here are some other YangYummm Italian dishes that you might enjoy:
Pasta Alla Carbonara
Equipment
- 1 Sauté Pan (or other deep pan)
- 1 Large stock pot
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 Box Grater
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti pasta (may substitute with other pasta shapes)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz guanciale, chopped into strips (may use pancetta or bacon)
- 1 cup pecorino romano (plus more for garnish) (may use Parmigiano-Reggiano)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Few cranks of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- First, heat some olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add guanciale strips to the pan and cook until it is crispy (about 10-15 minutes). Meanwhile, cook your pasta in unsalted boiling water until 2 minutes before al dente.
- Continue to stir guanciale occasionally to prevent burning. Meanwhile, prepare your egg mixture. Crack 1 whole egg + 3 egg yolks and place in a mixing bowl. Whisk together. Then, add pecorino romano and whisk again to form a thick, creamy paste. Finally, add about half a ladleful of pasta water and mix.
- Once guanciale is nice and crispy, remove some from the pan and set it aside for garnish later. Add your crushed red pepper flakes in (optional). Add about a ladleful of pasta water to the pan and then add in your cooked noodles. Mix and toss to coat the pasta in the delicious pork fat. Remove from heat.
- Once off the heat, pour the egg mixture into the pan and immediately mix to combine. Toss well a couple of times to fully coat pasta with the creamy sauce.
- Plate it up. Garnish with crispy guanciale bits, some more pecorino romano and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
