Authentic Spaghetti Carbonara

Instructions

1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water, using about 10g of salt per liter of water. Don’t add oil to the pasta water.
2. Cut the guanciale into thick, chunky pieces.
3. In a bowl, beat the whole egg and egg yolk together well, then mix in the grated cheese and a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper. The guanciale itself is salty, so don’t add extra salt to the sauce.
4. Add a light drizzle of olive oil to a pan, then add the guanciale and cook until golden so the fat renders out. If too much fat comes out, blot some off with a paper towel.
5. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool slightly, then transfer the cooked pasta into it and toss so it’s evenly coated in the guanciale fat.
6. With the pan no longer too hot, pour in the egg-and-cheese sauce and toss quickly to build a smooth, creamy consistency. If the heat is too strong, the egg will scramble, so be careful.
7. Plate and finish with extra cheese and black pepper to taste.

Tips

• Authentic carbonara has no heavy cream in it — the creamy texture comes entirely from egg, cheese, and guanciale fat.
• If you picked guanciale with a good smoky aroma, keep in mind that a substitute won’t fully reproduce that flavor.
• The key when pouring in the sauce is to turn off the heat and let the pan cool slightly before mixing — if the pan is too hot, the egg will scramble.
• Store-bought grated parmesan works in a pinch, but the anti-caking agent it contains can make the sauce stiff, so grating a block of cheese yourself gives a smoother result when you can.
• Avoid cheeses that melt and stretch when heated, like mozzarella, cheddar, or sliced cheese — they’ll clump and separate from the egg sauce.

Authentic Spaghetti Carbonara
Equipment: pot, frying pan, knife, cutting board, mixing bowl
Ingredients (1 serving)

- spaghetti 100g (a slightly thicker noodle like spaghettoni is recommended)
- guanciale 50g
- egg 1 whole egg
- egg ½ yolk only
- pecorino cheese 20g, grated
- olive oil ½ tbsp
- black pepper coarsely ground, generous amount
- salt 1 tbsp (for the pasta water, about 10g per liter of water)

Instructions
1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water, using about 10g of salt per liter of water. Don't add oil to the pasta water.
2. Cut the guanciale into thick, chunky pieces.
3. In a bowl, beat the whole egg and egg yolk together well, then mix in the grated cheese and a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper. The guanciale itself is salty, so don't add extra salt to the sauce.
4. Add a light drizzle of olive oil to a pan, then add the guanciale and cook until golden so the fat renders out. If too much fat comes out, blot some off with a paper towel.
5. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool slightly, then transfer the cooked pasta into it and toss so it's evenly coated in the guanciale fat.
6. With the pan no longer too hot, pour in the egg-and-cheese sauce and toss quickly to build a smooth, creamy consistency. If the heat is too strong, the egg will scramble, so be careful.
7. Plate and finish with extra cheese and black pepper to taste.

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