HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC CARBONARA PASTA | Pasta 101

guanciale

🥗Healthier: pancetta

💰Cheaper: bacon

Pancetta and bacon are more accessible alternatives with similar flavors.

Pecorino Romano cheese

🥗Healthier: Parmesan cheese

💰Cheaper: Grana Padano

Parmesan and Grana Padano offer a similar taste profile at a lower cost.

eggs

🥗Healthier: egg whites

💰Cheaper: tofu

Egg whites reduce cholesterol, while tofu provides a vegan option.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is budget-friendly.

Grate the cheese, using Pecorino Romano or Parmesano, but the creator uses Pecina Tuscano.

Slice the smoked Hogs jowl, which is used instead of guanciale.

Fill a pot with water and place it on the stove over high heat with a lid to bring it to a boil.

Once boiling, add a couple of fat pinches of sea salt and drop in the spaghetti.

Heat a sauté pan over medium flame and add a little extra virgin olive oil.

Add the smoked Hogs jowl to the pan and cook until evenly browned and slightly crispy, rendering out most of the fat.

Add the slightly undercooked pasta to the sauté pan with the Hogs jowl.

Add a few ladles of pasta water to the pan.

Add all the grated cheese and a generous amount of freshly grated black pepper to the pan.

Toss the pan to melt the cheese and incorporate the ingredients.

Turn off the heat and add the eggs, mixing everything well to create a creamy sauce.

If the sauce is too tight, use a little pasta water to thin it out.

Plate the pasta, including all the bits left in the pan, and finish with more grated cheese and black pepper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens