Carbonara

Recipes

Audio By Carbonatix

In my welcome letter, I mentioned the carbonara my family ate in Rome. It is such a rich and satisfying meal that is surprisingly simple to make with just a few easy to find ingredients. You might already have most of them in your kitchen. Buon Appetito! 

Carbonara

4 quarts water

1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish

8 ounces guanciale, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)

2 large egg yolks

4 large eggs

3 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated on a microplane zester, plus additional grated Pecorino Romano for garnish

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 (16-ounce) package dry spaghetti 

A few notes if you make this dish:

• buy a wedge of pecorino Romano and grate yourself on a fine microplane—it will melt and incorporate much better into the eggs and pasta. I like this one.
• Finding guanciale (smoked pork jowl) is worth it if possible—the fat renders nicely and offers a more flavorful dish. If you can’t find guanciale, you can substitute pancetta. If neither of those are available, you can use bacon.
• make sure your eggs sit out and come to room temperature. This will help them temper more evenly and not scramble.

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Place 8 ounces matchstick-cut guanciale in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. I actually love my le creuset dutch oven for this dish as it has enough room to mix everything together without the pan becoming crowded. Cook over medium heat until it starts sizzling, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the guanciale is browned and crisp, 6 to 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, add 1 pound dried spaghetti and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions until the pasta is just al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. Place 4 room temperature large eggs and 2 room temperature large egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Add 2 ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a pinch of kosher salt, and whisk until combined.
• When the guanciale is ready, transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper to the skillet, turn off the heat, and stir to combine. Let cool for 1 minute.
• While whisking the egg and pecorino mixture constantly, slowly stream in 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water—this is an important step as it tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling.
• When the spaghetti is ready, turn off the heat, then transfer it directly to the skillet with tongs. It’s OK if some water clings to the pasta. Add 1/4 cup pasta water to the skillet and toss until the pasta is well-coated and most of the water and fat in the pan have been absorbed.
• While tossing the pasta constantly, slowly start pouring the egg mixture into the skillet, pouring into the center over the pasta and not around the edges. Add the guanciale and continue tossing until the sauce coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thin and not coating, turn the heat on to the lowest setting and cook, tossing constantly, until thickened slightly. Make sure to move the skillet around so the eggs don't scramble.
• Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Transfer to a large or individual serving bowls and serve immediately with more grated Pecorino and a few grinds of pepper on top if desired.