Spaghetti or rigatoni tossed with rendered guanciale, a Pecorino-Parmesan-egg mixture, and pasta water until the sauce turns glossy and clings to every strand. There's no cream — the creaminess comes entirely from emulsifying the egg mixture with starchy pasta water and the fat from the guanciale. The critical rule: once the egg mixture goes in, the pan stays off the heat or the eggs will scramble.
Ingredients
- 200g spaghetti or rigatoni
- 150g guanciale (or pancetta), diced
- 3 large eggs
- 50g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 50g Parmesan, finely grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt for pasta water
Instructions
Prep
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- While waiting, whisk eggs with grated Pecorino and Parmesan in a bowl. Season generously with black pepper. Set aside.
Cook the guanciale
- Add guanciale to a cold pan. Place over medium heat and cook until crispy and the fat fully renders out, about 8 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.
Cook the pasta
- Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente.
- Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water — this is essential.
- Drain the pasta.
Bring it together
- Add hot drained pasta to the pan with guanciale (off heat). Toss well so the fat coats every strand.
- Add the egg mixture and toss vigorously. Add pasta water a small splash at a time, tossing constantly, until you have a creamy, silky sauce.
- The residual heat cooks the eggs. Do not return to direct heat — they will scramble.
- Serve immediately with extra cheese and cracked black pepper.
Storage
Carbonara doesn't keep well — the egg sauce seizes in the fridge.
- Fridge: Up to 1 day in an airtight container, but quality drops significantly.
- Reheat: Very gently in a pan over the lowest possible heat with a splash of water, tossing constantly. Do not microwave.
- Best practice: Make only what you'll eat. It takes 30 minutes and scales easily.
Notes
- No cream. Ever.
- Guanciale is traditional; pancetta works but is less fatty and flavorful.
- The pasta water starch is what creates the creaminess — don't skip it.
- Rigatoni catches sauce in the ridges better than spaghetti.
My Notes
Used pancetta — works but noticeably less rich than guanciale. Worth hunting down the real thing.
Tried rigatoni instead of spaghetti. Sauce clings to the ridges much better. Sticking with rigatoni from now on.
Made for 4 people — scaled up fine. Key is having everything ready before the pasta comes out of the water, it moves fast.
Added Mar 29, 2026 · Updated Mar 29, 2026