Italian Carbonara Recipe with Crispy Guanciale
This authentic Italian carbonara features silky pasta coated in a creamy egg and Pecorino Romano sauce, studded with crispy guanciale. It’s a comforting, crowd-pleasing dinner that’s quick, easy, and bursting with bold Roman flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 14 oz dried spaghetti or rigatoni
- 5.3 oz guanciale, diced into small cubes (or pancetta/thick-cut unsmoked bacon as substitute)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2.8 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (or Parmigiano Reggiano as substitute)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Salt, for pasta water (about 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Cut guanciale into small cubes and finely grate Pecorino Romano cheese. Crack eggs and egg yolk into a bowl and bring to room temperature.
- Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add guanciale cubes and cook for 5-7 minutes until fat renders and pieces are golden and crispy. Stir occasionally.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolk, and grated Pecorino Romano. Add freshly ground black pepper and whisk until smooth. If thick, add a spoonful of reserved pasta water.
- Drain pasta and immediately add to skillet with crispy guanciale (remove from heat). Toss well to coat pasta in rendered fat.
- Pour egg and cheese mixture over pasta and guanciale (off heat). Toss quickly and steadily with tongs until a creamy, glossy sauce forms. Add reserved pasta water as needed for creaminess.
- If sauce is too thick, add more pasta water. If too runny, toss for another 30 seconds to thicken. Avoid scrambled eggs by keeping pan off heat.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with extra Pecorino Romano and black pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with more cheese and pepper.
Notes
For best results, use room temperature eggs and freshly grated cheese. Toss pasta and sauce off the heat to avoid scrambling the eggs. Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. Guanciale is traditional, but pancetta or unsmoked bacon can be substituted. For gluten-free, use GF pasta. For vegetarian, substitute guanciale with smoked mushrooms or roasted eggplant.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 27
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 56
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 18
Keywords: carbonara, Italian pasta, creamy pasta, guanciale, Pecorino Romano, dinner, authentic, Roman, easy pasta, comfort food