Name: Spaghetti Carbonara
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 quarts water; 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish; 4 ounces guanciale, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup); 5 large egg yolks; 2 large eggs; 3 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated on the medium holes of a box grater, plus additional grated Pecorino Romano for garnish; 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated on the medium holes of a box grater; 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti (preferably bronze-cut)

Total Time:

30 mins

Yield:

4 servings

Ask a hundred chefs how to make spaghetti carbonara — the iconic, decadent pasta with a rich, eggy sauce and bits of salty, crispy pork — and you’ll get a hundred similar yet marginally different recipes. In the Food & Wine Test Kitchen, we set out to create the ultimate carbonara, testing different methods and interviewing experts for their advice. “We as professionals always talk about the importance of ingredients, but technique holds equal weight, if not more so,” says 2020 F&W Best New Chef Douglass Williams, chef of Mida in Boston. In other words, what takes a carbonara recipe from good to great is finely tuned ratios and a fully dialed-in method.

But with such an elemental recipe, the ingredients really matter. Many carbonara recipes call for egg yolks, but through our tests, we discovered that a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks yielded better results. “A sauce made from only egg yolks is incredibly rich and delicious but often requires thinning with pasta water on the back end, which can be tricky,” says F&W recipe developer Liz Mervosh. Including egg whites, which are about 90% water, helps loosen the sauce to a creamy consistency.

As most people who’ve tried their hand at carbonara know, without a solid technique, that luscious eggy sauce is one step away from scrambled eggs. It was Luigi Speranza, co-owner of La Trafila, a Brooklyn-based pasta company, who shared a tip that led us to the most reliable carbonara sauce: “My best advice for home cooks is to combine the pasta with the eggs off flame,” he says. And that’s exactly what we did. To prevent a rapid increase in temperature, which would coagulate the proteins and scramble the eggs, we tempered the eggs in a separate bowl off the stove, gradually warming them by whisking in hot pasta cooking liquid to create a loose sauce. Next, hot spaghetti is swirled in, thickening the sauce to a velvety consistency. All that’s left to do to finish the dish is a showering of cheese and cracked black pepper.

Frequently asked questions

What cheese should I use in carbonara?

Pecorino Romano, a sharp sheep's milk cheese, can lean salty, especially when combined with cured pork in carbonara, but a 50:50 ratio of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano hit the ideal mark, balancing sharp, salty, and nutty flavors. Grate the cheese on the medium holes of a box grater, or process it in a food processor until fine crumbles form.

What kind of cured pork should I use for carbonara?

We tested three types of cured pork to see which was best for pasta carbonara. Bacon was too smoky, and the slices were too thin, not providing the proper amount of chew. Pancetta had a pleasantly clean flavor but lacked fattiness. Guanciale was just right: Its richness, infused with a hint of smoke and subtle barnyard funkiness, added complexity to the elemental sauce.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Bronze-cut pasta, such as De Cecco, is extruded through perforated metal plates (or dies), giving the pasta a rough, porous surface, ideal for slick sauces like carbonara to cling to. Find bronze-cut spaghetti at most grocery stores or online at supermarketitaly.com.

This pasta is best served immediately to showcase the pasta’s silky sauce. The recipe only takes 30 minutes to prepare, so it’s easy to whip up whenever a craving hits.

Suggested pairing

Pair this silky, rich pasta with a fruity Chianti Classico, such as Castellare di Castellina.

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Ingredients

4 quarts water
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish
4 ounces guanciale, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
5 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
3 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated on the medium holes of a box grater, plus additional grated Pecorino Romano for garnish
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated on the medium holes of a box grater
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti (preferably bronze-cut)

Directions

Boil the water and brown the guanciale

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high. Meanwhile, place pepper in a large heatproof bowl; set aside. Cook guanciale in a medium skillet over low, stirring often, until lightly browned, fat is mostly rendered, and guanciale feels crisp with a bouncy texture when squeezed, about 10 minutes.
Bloom the black pepper

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Pour 3 tablespoons hot guanciale drippings over pepper in bowl; set guanciale aside.
Whisk the eggs and cheese

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Add egg yolks, eggs, and cheeses to pepper mixture; whisk until thoroughly blended, and set aside.
Cook the pasta and temper the eggs

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Add salt to water in pot; return to a boil over high. Add pasta; cook according to package directions for al dente, stirring occasionally. About 1 minute before pasta is finished cooking, scoop out 1/4 cup cooking liquid, and slowly pour into egg mixture, whisking constantly, until well combined and sauce is loosened.
Swirl in the pasta

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Transfer about one-third of pasta to egg mixture using tongs, allowing excess liquid to drip off in pot; quickly and gently toss to combine. Transfer remaining pasta, allowing excess liquid to drip off in pot, to egg mixture.
Stir to thicken

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Continue stirring and tossing the pasta with tongs until cheese is melted and sauce thickens slightly and coats pasta, about 1 minute. (The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.)
Serve it immediately

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Divide pasta evenly among 4 shallow serving bowls, and top with reserved crisped guanciale. Garnish with pepper and grated Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately.