Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Serves 2 · Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min — Roman carbonara made with guanciale, egg yolks, Pecorino Romano and black pepper, and no cream, garlic or butter.
- 200g spaghetti or rigatoni (bronze-die for a rougher, starchier surface)
- 120–150g guanciale, rind off, cut into batons ~1cm × 0.5cm
- 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg (large)
- 50g Pecorino Romano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- Black pepper, coarsely cracked (~1 tsp)
- Salt for pasta water (~8g/L — lighter than usual)
- Render the guanciale: cold, dry pan, medium-low heat, 8–10 min until the fat is translucent and the edges crisp but the centres are still slightly chewy. Take off the heat and keep the fat.
- Toast the pepper: crack it into the fat for the last 30 sec, or toast it dry and add half to the eggs.
- Make the crema: whisk yolks, whole egg, pecorino and most of the pepper into a thick paste. Loosen with 1 tbsp of the guanciale fat.
- Cook the pasta 1–2 min short of al dente. Reserve ~200ml pasta water.
- Toss the pasta into the guanciale pan with a splash of pasta water over low heat for 30–60 sec. Take the pan fully off the heat and let it stop sizzling (~30 sec).
- Mantecatura: add the egg mixture and toss vigorously, adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time until glossy and flowing. Target sauce temperature ~65–70°C — yolks thicken from ~65°C and scramble above ~75°C.
- Fold the guanciale back in (keep some on top). Serve immediately in warmed bowls with extra pecorino and pepper.
UK sourcing: guanciale from Natoora, Lina Stores, Eataly London or Ocado. Unsmoked slab pancetta is the fallback; streaky bacon changes the dish noticeably.
Scrambling is a heat-management problem, not a speed problem. If nervous, do the mantecatura in a bowl set over the pasta pot (bain-marie).
More yolks give a richer, more stable sauce; whole eggs add volume but are more prone to graininess.
Pecorino clumps when it hits fat that's too hot — grate finely and pre-mix into the eggs. A 50/50 pecorino/Parmigiano blend is softer on salt but not purist.
Food safety: at 65–70°C the yolks aren't held long enough to count as pasteurised. Use British Lion eggs if serving anyone vulnerable.