Spaghetti Carbonara

This Spaghetti Carbonara is the ultimate comfort food—creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor. Made with a rich combination of egg yolks, Pecorino Romano, and Parmesan, this version avoids cream for authenticity. The crispy guanciale or pancetta adds texture and saltiness, while pasta water brings it all together into a luscious sauce. Perfect for a romantic date night or indulgent dinner, this carbonara is as classic as it gets—just don't scramble those eggs!

Author: These Carbs Don't Count

Category: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2 plates

Calories: 1,037 kcal per serving

Ingredients

½ pound - spaghetti
⅛ - Salt
4 - egg yolks
1 - whole egg
1 cup - Pecorino Romano cheese
½ cup - Parmesan cheese
6 ounce - guanciale or pancetta
⅛ - black pepper
⅛ - Reserved pasta water

Instructions

Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
In a bowl, combine egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino, and Parmesan. Mix vigorously into a smooth paste.
Add guanciale or pancetta to a cold pan. Turn heat to medium and cook until crispy and golden. Remove some of the rendered fat and set guanciale aside.
Stir two spoonfuls of rendered fat and a generous amount of black pepper into the egg and cheese mixture. Add a splash of reserved pasta water and mix to loosen.
Remove the pan from heat and let it cool slightly. Add the drained pasta to the pan off heat.
Quickly stir in the egg mixture, tossing constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Add more pasta water as needed to reach a creamy consistency.
Fold in the crispy pancetta/guanciale and additional Pecorino cheese.
Serve immediately topped with more cheese and cracked pepper.