Easy Carbonara in 15 Minutes

guanciale

🥗Healthier: pancetta

💰Cheaper: bacon

Pancetta and bacon are more accessible alternatives to guanciale.

Pecorino Romano cheese

🥗Healthier: Parmesan cheese

💰Cheaper: Grana Padano

Parmesan and Grana Padano are less expensive and still provide a rich flavor.

Fill a 12-inch sauté pan with water and bring it to a boil.

Place a 6.5 quart Dutch oven on the stove over low heat to warm up.

Cut four pieces of thick cut bacon (about 8 ounces) into small dice.

Add a little olive oil to the Dutch oven to help render the bacon.

Add the diced bacon to the Dutch oven and stir to spread it out.

Once the water is boiling, add a strong pinch of salt to the sauté pan.

Add 12 ounces of spaghetti to the boiling water, spreading it out as you drop it in.

Simmer the spaghetti on high for 8 minutes, checking it occasionally.

Grate 50 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and place it in a bowl.

Grate 50 grams of Pecorino Romano cheese and add it to the bowl with the Parmigiano.

Add 1 whole large egg and 3 large egg yolks to the cheese mixture and mix until smooth.

Grind black pepper (about 1 gram per portion) and set aside.

Check the bacon after about 3 minutes of cooking; it should be rendering and getting crispy.

Once the bacon is fully rendered (after about 10 minutes), remove it from the pot but keep the fat.

Add the black pepper to the bacon fat in the Dutch oven and stir to toast it.

Ladle about 1.5 cups (300 mL) of pasta water into the Dutch oven to create the sauce base.

Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze it.

Use tongs to transfer the spaghetti from the sauté pan to the Dutch oven with the bacon fat and pasta water.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens