Spaghetti alla Carbonara

The proper way to make Spaghetti alla Carbonara is hotly debated. Dare I put myself in the middle? Of course! A traditional Spaghetti alla Carbonara is made using only five ingredients– spaghetti, eggs, guanciale, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. The key to getting a fantastic result is to source the highest quality ingredients, cook the pasta to a perfect al dente, and most importantly, don’t scramble the eggs (although I must admit, I’ve scrambled them many time and met with delicious results.) The result should be creamy and velvety, punctuated with crispy, salty bits of guanciale, the epitome of comfort food.

Note: Sometimes it can be hard to find guanciale in the States, so I use pancetta as a substitute. Guanciale comes from the pork jowl, while pancetta is made from pork belly. While they are both incredibly flavorful, guanciale has a higher fat content, which lends a softer, less chewy texture. If you can get your hands on it, great, if not, improvise!

To begin, separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the egg yolks to a large mixing bowl.

Add the Pecorino Romano and black pepper and whisk vigorously until well combined.

Brown the guanciale in a heavy bottomed skillet until it is crisp and has rendered its fat. Strain the fat and set the guanciale aside. Note: Don’t get rid of the fat just yet. You will add some back into the sauce at the end of the preparation for added flavor.

Bring a pot of salted water too a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When the pasta reaches al dente, remove it from the water with kitchen tongs, and transfer to the mixing bowl with the egg and cheese mixture. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water which you may need to use to loosen the sauce later.

Next, create a bagna marie by placing the mixing bowl over the boiling water, and mix the pasta with the sauce until the cheese has melted, and the egg has thickened. Trust your judgement, the sauce should not look thin and bubbly. If it does, keep stirring and allow the heat to do its job. When the sauce is creamy, remove the pasta from the heat and add the guanciale, a small amount of the guanciale drippings (if desired), and a bit of the cooking water to loosen the sauce, if necessary.

Plate the pasta, top with extra cheese and black pepper, and dig in!