Roman Comfort Food | RecipeWorldEats.com
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
- 1 lb spaghetti or rigatoni
- 6 oz guanciale or pancetta, diced
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 1½ cups Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
- Freshly ground black pepper (generous amount)
- Salt for pasta water
- Reserved pasta cooking water
Instructions:
- Boil Water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (it should taste like the sea).
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, whole egg, and 1 cup Pecorino Romano. Add generous black pepper. Set aside at room temperature.
- Cook Guanciale: In a large skillet, cook guanciale over medium heat 7-8 minutes until crispy and the fat is rendered. Turn off the heat but keep the pan warm.
- Cook Pasta: Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until just al dente (1 minute less than package directions). Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Combine: Add drained pasta to a warm skillet with guanciale. Toss to coat in rendered fat. Remove from heat and let cool 30 seconds.
- Add Eggs: Add ½ cup of pasta water to the egg mixture and whisk. Pour over pasta and toss vigorously 1-2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed for creamy sauce (should coat pasta, not pool in bottom).
- Finish: Add the remaining Pecorino and more black pepper. Toss again. Adjust consistency with pasta water if needed.
- Serve: Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and black pepper on the table.
Chef’s Tips:
- ✨ Never add cream – this is authentic Roman carbonara!
- ✨ The key is gentle heat after adding eggs to avoid scrambling
- ✨ Pasta water is magical – it creates a silky emulsion
- ✨ Guanciale (pork jowl) is traditional, but pancetta works too
Nutrition (per serving): 620 calories | 28g protein | 72g carbs | 24g fat