Learn how to make traditional spaghetti carbonara. This classic Italian pasta dish combines a creamy cheese sauce with crispy pancetta and black pepper.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Finely chop the 100g of pancetta, removing the fatty part first. Finely grate 50g of pecorino and 50g of parmesan and mix them together.
In a medium bowl, beat the 3 large eggs and season with a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Set everything aside.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water, add 350g of spaghetti and when the water returns to a boil, cook on low heat, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).
Crush 2 whole garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to smash them.
While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Pour 50g of butter into a large pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, add the pancetta and garlic to the pan.
Let it cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crispy. Now the garlic has released its flavor, so remove it with a slotted spoon and discard it.
Keep the heat under the pancetta at a low temperature. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and place it in the pan with the pancetta. Don't worry if a little water falls into the pan (that's exactly what you want to do) and don't throw away the pasta cooking water.
Mix most of the cheese with the eggs, keeping a small handful aside to sprinkle on top later.
Remove the pan of spaghetti and pancetta from the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using tongs or a long fork, lift the spaghetti so that it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but does not scramble, and everything is well coated.
Add a little of the spaghetti cooking water to keep everything flavorful (a few tablespoons should suffice). It shouldn't be wet, just moist. Season with a bit of salt, if necessary.
Use a long fork to twist the pasta onto the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish becomes a bit dry before serving, add a little more hot pasta water and the shine of the sauce will be revived.
Storage instructions not provided.
The pasta water can be added as you transfer the spaghetti to the hot pan. Everything comes together to create a light and silky sauce.
Italia
| Energy (kcal) | 280.95 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 24.81 |
| of which Sugars (g) | 2.38 |
| Fat (g) | 15.54 |
| of which Saturates (g) | 6.94 |
| Protein (g) | 11.5 |
| Fiber (g) | 0.96 |
| Sale (g) | 0.17 |
