The Proper Way to Make Carbonara (No Cream, I Promise)

https://youtu.be/UumU-KisTMI

The proper way to make carbonara - no cream, no bacon bits, no shortcuts. Just eggs, cheese, guanciale, and black pepper, done the way it's actually meant to be made in Rome.

Carbonara gets ruined more than almost any other pasta dish - cream, garlic, bacon, the works. In this video I'll show you the traditional method: how to get that silky, glossy sauce using just egg and cheese (no cream needed), how to avoid scrambling your eggs, and the small technique details that make the difference between a gluey mess and a proper carbonara.

The Proper Way to Make Carbonara (No Cream, I Promise)

Serves 2

200g spaghetti

300g guanciale, diced (or pancetta if unavailable)

4 egg yolks

70g Pecorino Romano, finely grated

Freshly cracked black pepper

Salt, for the pasta water

Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.

Meanwhile, place a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the guanciale for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden, allowing the fat to slowly render. Remove the pan from the heat but leave the guanciale and all of the rendered fat in the pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, grated Pecorino Romano and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper until smooth.

Before draining the pasta, reserve at least 250ml of the starchy cooking water.

Transfer the cooked spaghetti straight into the pan with the guanciale and toss to coat in the rendered fat. Leave for around 30 seconds to cool slightly.

Pour over the egg mixture and toss continuously, adding the reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce becomes silky, glossy and coats every strand of pasta. The residual heat from the pasta will gently cook the yolks without scrambling them.

Divide between warm bowls and finish with extra Pecorino Romano and another generous grind of black pepper.

Serve immediately.