This spaghetti carbonara follows the Roman method: egg yolks, finely grated pecorino, crisp pancetta and a lot of black pepper, with no cream at all. The pancetta turns golden while the pasta boils, and the sauce is made in the last 2 minutes using the warmth of the spaghetti and a splash of its cooking water. It suits World Pasta Day on 25 October, and it is on the table in 20 minutes.
Why this works
The sauce is egg, cheese, pork fat and starchy pasta water. Tossed together away from the flame, the heat held in the spaghetti thickens the yolks into a glossy coat. Over direct heat, the same eggs set into lumps within seconds.
One whole egg plus two extra yolks makes a richer, more golden sauce than whole eggs alone, and a more forgiving one: the whites firm up before the yolks do. A splash of pasta water whisked into the eggs first warms them gently and thins the sauce enough to cling to every strand.
Key ingredients
- Pancetta. Cubes or thin strips, smoked or unsmoked. Guanciale is the Roman choice if you can find it, and smoked streaky bacon is the everyday swap.
- Eggs. One whole egg and two yolks for two people. Take them out of the fridge when you put the water on, so they blend into the sauce more smoothly.
- Pecorino or parmesan. Pecorino romano is saltier and sharper, parmesan is milder and nuttier, and half of each works well. Grate it finely so it melts.
- Black pepper. Carbonara takes more pepper than most pasta. Grind it coarsely, add most to the eggs and keep some back for the top.
Amounts for 1 to 6 people are in the recipe card below, in grams or cups.
Method
- 01
Boil the water
Fill a large pot with water, cover it and bring it to the boil over a high heat, starting with water from the kettle to save time. Salt it a little less than usual, since the pancetta and cheese are both salty.
- 02
Crisp the pancetta
Put the pancetta in a large cold frying pan and set it over a medium heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden and the fat has run out. Turn off the heat and leave the pan to cool a little.
- 03
Cook the spaghetti
Set the measurer to 2, fill it with spaghetti and lower the bundle into the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute less than the packet says, stirring once or twice.
Adjustable Spaghetti Measurer, Pack of 2 - 04
Grate the cheese
While the pasta cooks, grate the cheese finely into a mixing bowl, keeping a little back for serving. Crack in the whole egg and add most of the pepper.
Rasp Zester and Fine Grater - 05
Add the yolks
Break the other eggs into a wide bowl. Squeeze the separator, touch the nozzle to a yolk and let go, then move each yolk across to the cheese. Beat everything with a fork to a thick, smooth paste.
Silicone Egg Yolk Separator - 06
Drain the pasta
Scoop out a mug of the cooking water and whisk a splash of it into the egg mixture to loosen it. Drain the spaghetti with the clip on strainer.
Clip-On Pot Strainer - 07
Toss off the heat
Check the frying pan has stopped sizzling: it should feel warm, not hot. Tip in the spaghetti and toss it through the fat, then pour over the egg mixture and toss hard for 1 to 2 minutes, adding splashes of the cooking water until the sauce is glossy. If it stays thin, set the pan over the lowest heat for a few seconds at a time, tossing all the while. Serve straight away with the rest of the pepper, the extra cheese and the parsley, if using.
What to serve it with
A crisp green salad with a sharp lemon dressing cuts through the richness. For another quick pasta night, try the lemon garlic spaghetti or the garlic butter prawn linguine.
Storing and reheating
- Fridge
- Cool quickly, cover and eat within 2 days.
- Freezer
- Best skipped. The egg sauce turns grainy once thawed.
- Reheat
- In a frying pan over a low heat with a splash of water, tossing until piping hot. The sauce loses some of its gloss.
Questions
Turn the heat off under the pancetta and wait until the pan stops sizzling before the pasta and eggs go in. Loosen the eggs with a splash of pasta water first, then keep tossing until the sauce turns glossy.
Not in the Roman version. The creamy texture comes from egg yolks, finely grated cheese, the fat from the pancetta and the starch in the pasta water.
Yes. Smoked streaky bacon cut into short strips is the closest swap. Lean bacon gives off too little fat to carry the sauce.
Toss in more of the saved cooking water, a splash at a time. Carbonara keeps thickening as it sits, so stop when it looks a little looser than you want.
Recipe
Spaghetti carbonara in 20 minutes
Egg yolks, pecorino, crisp pancetta and black pepper, with no cream. Tossed off the heat so the eggs turn silky, not scrambled. By Hannah Ellis.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
- 01Fill a large pot with water, cover it and bring it to the boil over a high heat, starting with water from the kettle to save time. Salt it a little less than usual, since the pancetta and cheese are both salty.
- 02Put the pancetta in a large cold frying pan and set it over a medium heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden and the fat has run out. Turn off the heat and leave the pan to cool a little.
- 03Set the measurer to 2, fill it with spaghetti and lower the bundle into the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute less than the packet says, stirring once or twice.
- 04While the pasta cooks, grate the cheese finely into a mixing bowl, keeping a little back for serving. Crack in the whole egg and add most of the pepper.
- 05Break the other eggs into a wide bowl. Squeeze the separator, touch the nozzle to a yolk and let go, then move each yolk across to the cheese. Beat everything with a fork to a thick, smooth paste.
- 06Scoop out a mug of the cooking water and whisk a splash of it into the egg mixture to loosen it. Drain the spaghetti with the clip on strainer.
- 07Check the frying pan has stopped sizzling: it should feel warm, not hot. Tip in the spaghetti and toss it through the fat, then pour over the egg mixture and toss hard for 1 to 2 minutes, adding splashes of the cooking water until the sauce is glossy. If it stays thin, set the pan over the lowest heat for a few seconds at a time, tossing all the while. Serve straight away with the rest of the pepper, the extra cheese and the parsley, if using.
