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Spaghetti Carbonara is a classic Roman-Italian Dish with a creamy silky smooth sauce and people go NUTS if you alter the recipe. Enjoy a list of spaghetti carbonara do's and don'ts to help you make the most authentic version.
Looking for more classic pasta dishes? Try our Bucatini Amatriciana or Pasta alla Norma!
Jump to:
- My Trials and Tribulations
- Ingredient Notes
- Step-by-Step Directions.
- Pro-Tips
- Carbonara with Guanciale vs. Pancetta
- Spaghetti Carbonara Do's
- Spaghetti Carbonara Don'ts
- Carbonara Pilling vs Silky
- FAQs
- More Classic Italian Dishes
- 📖 Recipe
- Reviews
My Trials and Tribulations
I'm not sure if you've heard of the spaghetti carbonara police. But I think they operate internationally and will immediately inform you of any mistakes you make in creating a spaghetti carbonara plate. So, I want to frame this recipe into a spaghetti carbonara do's and don'ts so you can feel good about your dish.
It is a dish that everyone screws up the first time. It's not an easy recipe and takes some time to learn the technique. So, I thought I'd share my experience with carbonara. The very first time I made this dish I started with bacon. Don't ask me why, but I've come a long way since then.
What I share in this blog will be the spaghetti carbonara do's and don'ts so maybe you can skip some of the heartaches with this dish. But what I will tell you is that every mistake I've made with spaghetti has tasted pretty damn good. Test away, you won't regret it.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that I use. These may vary slightly but the one thing most people don't put in spaghetti carbonara is garlic. People scream its not traditional, yada yada yada. I don't care. Do what you feel like that day.
- 1lbspaghetti
- 1cuppecorino romano
- 2eggs
- 2egg yolks
- 6 oz guanciale or 8 oz pancetta, chopped
- ¼cuppasta water
- salt
Guanciale or Pancetta. Guanciale is what is traditionally used. It is Pork jowl and has a very rich flavor but pancetta, pork belly, is a great substitute because guanciale isn't readily available everywhere.
Step-by-Step Directions.
It's really not that hard. It just takes some practice to get it down. It's not that a mistake will ruin the dish, it's just that a small error can mess with the consistency. So follow the Do's and Don'ts! This image below is carbonara with pancetta instead of guanciale!
Pots and pans heating at the same time
Step 1: Heat the boiling water in a pot and the pan at the same time. Bring the saucepan to medium-low heat. You want to start boiling the pasta and frying the pancetta or guanciale at the same time. Once the water is boiling add salt and then add the spaghetti.
Step 2: Add the pancetta or guanciale to the pan while the pan is cold and fry until the fat is translucent and the rest of it develops a golden-brown crust. It should take about 8 minutes, so it will be finishing up right about the same time that the pasta is al dente.
Pro-Tips
- Guanciale and pancetta cook differently. Pancetta is much more forgiving than guanciale. I've cooked with both a ton of times and I find I am way more likely to burn guanciale by being careless. Make sure you keep the heat of the saucepan under control with the guanciale, because it will brown very quickly in comparison to the pancetta.
- Take your time raising the temperature of the pan. The more controlled the heat is, the less likely the eggs will cook and harden.
- When your first learning to make carbonara, it can be helpful to cook it in a nonstick pan because it doesn't hold heat as well and will be more forgiving if the temperature gets too high.
Step 3: Strain the pasta saving ½ a cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan while it is still on the burner. Stir really well to combine everything to keep the pasta hot. Take off the heat and let sit for 1 minute.
Preparing the Parmesan and Egg Mixture
Step 4: Combine the eggs and pecorino and scramble together while the pancetta is frying. I always use 1 egg yolk for every egg I add. This makes the carbonara perfectly creamy. The argument against using egg whites is that they cook quicker than egg yolks. I prefer it, but you have to maintain control over the heat of the pan.
Combining Eggs and Pasta
Step 5: Once the pan has been sitting off the heat, stir the egg mixture into the pasta. Stir vigorously to combine really well. If the pan is too hot the eggs will start to pill, meaning you'll see these little crumbly bits. If you do it right the eggs will become thick sort of like over-easy eggs and the cheese will melt developing a creamy decadent carbonara.
Add a little pasta water to thin out the sauce as necessary. I usually add about ¼-1/2 a cup to the mixture, stir it really well, and add fresh black pepper. Then plate immediately.
It's important to remove the pasta from the pan immediately to avoid cooking the egg. You don't want to eat scrambled eggs and pasta.
Below, I spelled out my Spaghetti Carbonara Do's and Don'ts. Hopefully, that will help you with any questions you may have.
Carbonara with Guanciale vs. Pancetta
Carbonara with guanciale. Guanciale is much more tender and the flavor is slightly sweeter than pancetta. The guanciale is definitely preferred for this dish but pancetta is a great alternative.
Carbonara with pancetta. Pancetta still gives us a great fatty oil to saute the spaghetti in but the texture is slightly chewier and more savory than the guanciale. I still LOVE pancetta, and make carbonara with it often because I can just go and grab it at the supermarket. I usually have to order guanciale on Amazon.
Spaghetti Carbonara Do's
- Start cooking the pancetta or guanciale as soon as you start boiling the pasta. It's important that everything finishes right about the same time so that the pasta is hot once it is put in the pan. If the pasta cools down too much, the whole recipe will be ruined because the egg mixture won't adhere to the pasta.
- Use a nonstick pan if you're a beginner. The nonstick won't hold heat as long as the cast iron or stainless steel pan. That will make it easier to drop the heat enough to add the egg mixture in without cooking the eggs.
- Grate your pecorino romano using the smallest part of the grater. The thicker the cheese is the more likely it is to clump up.
- Use 1 egg yolk for every egg you use. It will make the sauce creamier.
- Take the pan off the heat when you stir in the egg and pecorino cheese mixture.
- Use garlic, to hell with the haters!
Spaghetti Carbonara Don'ts
- Don't use fake parmesan or pecorino romano cheese. Buy one that you have to grate yourself and let it get to room temperature before putting it in the pasta.
- Don't rinse your pasta. Don't let your pasta cool. Don't break your spaghetti. And Don't forget to salt the water!
- Don't use a stainless steel pan if it's you're first time.
- Don't add cream or milk or butter.
- Don't substitute bacon for pancetta.
- Don't let the egg mixture ever sit still while it is in the pot with the pasta. Keep it moving until you transfer it to a plate.
Carbonara Pilling vs Silky
The egg and cheese mixture pilling instead of creating a smooth sauce. This is exactly what we want to avoid when making carbonara. The egg cheese mixture becomes a scrambled egg texture instead of the smooth, creamy, and silky texture shown in the images below.
This sauce has the smooth silky texture we look for when we combine the egg and cheese mixture with the pasta.
FAQs
What is the difference between Guanciale and Pancetta?
Guanciale is made from pork jowl and has a richer flavor with more fat, while pancetta is made from cured pork belly and tends to be slightly tougher with more sweetness to the meat when cooked.
What is the difference between Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano?
The main difference is the animal from which each comes. Pecorino is from sheep milk while Parmigiano is from cow's milk. Parmigiano is aged longer so it is a little sweeter and has a nutty profile. Pecorino is softer and creamier and has a bit of tang in its flavor.
What not to put in Spaghetti Carbonara?
Don't put garlic, cream, milk or butter. It is not needed. It is fine if you want to make a dish with those ingredients, but if you want to learn how to make this dish correctly, use only pecorino, eggs/egg yolks, black pepper, guanciale, and pasta water.
More Classic Italian Dishes
- Lemon Pasta with Spinach
- Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
- Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
- Classic Linguine Alla Puttanesca
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5 from 1 vote
Spaghetti Carbonara Do's and Don'ts
Spaghetti Carbonara is a difficult recipe. Here I spell out the do's and don'ts of this classic Italian dish.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta
Servings: 5 People
Calories: 575kcal
Equipment
1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 cup pecorino romano
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 6 oz guanciale, chopped
- ¼ cup pasta water
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Boil a large pot of water. Once at a boil, heavily salt the water. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
In a nonstick pan, fry guanciale on medium heat for 8 minutes or until the fat is rendered and the meat is slightly crispy. After 8 minutes, transfer the pasta to the pan and mix until combined. Remove from heat for 1-2 minutes until cooled.
Combine eggs and parmesan by scrambling. Stir the egg and parmesan mixture into the pasta vigorously, constantly moving the pasta around. Slowly add pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is slightly creamy. Add black pepper.
Remove from the pan and transfer to a bowl to avoid cooking the egg. Serve with extra parmesan.
Notes
- Always cook meat like guanciale or pancetta starting from a cold pan. This will help render the fat slowly while developing a crispy texture.
- Take your time raising the temperature of the pan. The more controlled the heat is, the less likely the eggs will cook and harden.
- When your first learning to make carbonara, it can be helpful to cook it in a nonstick pan because it doesn't hold heat as well and will be more forgiving if the temperature gets too high.
