Spaghetti carbonara is the perfect blend of rich, cheesy, and tangy all at once. Perfect for a date night dinner!
ABOUT SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
Spaghetti carbonara is a salty, cheesy, and pungent pasta dish from Italy. It is traditionally made with parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, and some form of cured pork. Spaghetti carbonara is famous for its super rich, creamy, cheesy, and peppery taste. In fact, it’s so famous globally that many countries have their own versions of making it. I know from personal experience that spaghetti carbonara is made differently in various countries within Asia for sure, my favorite being wafuu (和風), Japanese-style, spaghetti carbonara. Typically it is served with a raw egg yolk on top that adds extra richness to the dish. I wanted to combine the two in this recipe by creating a more traditional spaghetti carbonara and topping it with a raw egg. I highly recommend you try it like this, but only do so if you can be sure your eggs are safe!
INGREDIENTS (+ SUBSTITUTIONS)
This is a basic list and explanation of the key ingredients. For full list and measurements, please scroll down to the recipe below!
- ☆ Spaghetti
- ☆ Olive oil
- ☆ Pancetta
- You can also use guanciale or bacon.
- ☆ Garlic
- Some people put garlic and some don’t, so to meet that in the middle we are putting a whole bruised clove in to infuse some garlic flavor.
- ☆ Eggs
- Eggs are the main ingredient for the carbonara sauce. Please note that technically the egg is considered raw as it is only heated by the pasta.
- ☆ Egg yolks
- Egg yolks are added in addition to the whole eggs to help bind the fat, making the sauce more smooth and creamy.
- ☆ Parmesan cheese
- Ideally you want parmigiano reggiano, but any parmesan works.
- ☆ Pecorino romano cheese
- Similar to the parmesan, ideally we would use pecorino romano, but normal romano works. Pecorino romano is made with sheep’s milk while romano is made with cow’s milk.
TIPS FOR MAKING SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
- ☆ When adding the eggs, try to work as fast as you can to prevent the eggs from scrambling! Additionally, it also helps if the pasta and pancetta aren’t too hot after mixing together. If the eggs scramble, there’s no going back from there and you will have lumps in your sauce.
- ☆ Reserve a cup of pasta water in case you need to make the sauce more smooth. Be careful to add just a bit at a time as we don’t want to add too much.
- ☆ Just to reiterate, please make sure all the eggs you use in this recipe are safe! Whether you top the pasta with a raw egg yolk or not, all of the eggs in this dish, even the ones in the sauce, are considered raw.
MORE PASTA RECIPES! ♡
If you recreate this Spaghetti Carbonara recipe, please let me know by tagging me or leaving a comment on Instagram @maruryouri or TikTok @atsuryouri. I’d love to see your creations and hear your feedback!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 450 g spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 115 g pancetta or guanciale or bacon
- 1 garlic clove smashed optional
- 2 eggs about 45-50g each
- 2 egg yolks about 16g each
- 64 g parmesan cheese
- 40 g pecorino romano cheese
Instructions
- First, boil water and prepare your spaghetti until very al dente according to package details. As a general rule, you can cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than it says on the box. While the spaghetti cooks, prepare the sauce.
- In a large, deep pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Once hot, add the pancetta. The oil helps get the pancetta going, but you may omit it if you like.
- Once the pancetta has started to get crispy, add the smashed garlic clove. Continue to cook the pancetta until fat is rendered. At this point the spaghetti should be done. When draining the pasta, reserve about a cup of pasta water just in case we need it later.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the drained spaghetti. Lightly toss the spaghetti in the oil and pancetta.
- In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan and pecorino romano cheeses. Then, in a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, egg yolks, and about half of the cheese mixture.
- Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta and quickly mix together to coat the pasta, being careful to not let the eggs scramble or cook. Once coated, add the remaining cheese and mix until melted. The spaghetti should still be hot enough to melt the cheese, but if not, then you may return the pan to the stove and gently heat over medium low heat to help the cheese melt.
- If you would like the sauce to be creamier, add the reserved pasta water gradually until you achieve desired creaminess. Plate the pasta and top with parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper, or any topping of your choice, and the spaghetti carbonara is done! 完成です！