Skip to content
Pinch of Mint
Search recipes
  • Under 30 minutes
  • One pan

Carbonara, no cream

Carbonara, no cream, a still from its video, with the channel name and the recipe title in text across it

By Tom · Updated

Jump to recipe
  • Serves 2
  • About 25 min
  • Easy

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.

Loads from YouTube only once you press play.

The recipe

Carbonara, no cream

The proper way to make carbonara - no cream, no bacon bits, no shortcuts.

  • Serves 2
  • 15 min prep
  • 10 min cooking
  • Easy

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale
2 servings
Measurements

Ingredients

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti (200 g) until al dente.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, place a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the guanciale (300 g) 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.

  3. Step 3

    In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks (4 yolks), grated Pecorino Romano (70 g) and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper until smooth.

  4. Step 4

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

  5. Step 5

    Transfer the cooked spaghetti (200 g) straight into the pan with the guanciale (300 g) and toss to coat in the rendered fat. Leave for around 30 seconds to cool slightly.

  6. Step 6

    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 (4 yolks) without scrambling them.

  7. Step 7

    Divide between warm bowls and finish with extra Pecorino Romano (70 g) and another generous grind of black pepper.

  8. Step 8

    Serve immediately.

Stay in the loop

Get new recipes in your inbox

Occasional emails with new recipes, cooking tips and what’s new at Pinch of Mint.

See our Privacy Policy for information about how your personal data is used.

More pork dinners

Questions people ask

How long does carbonara, no cream take?

About 25 min from start to finish, of which 15 min is prep and 10 min is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 2. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.