Spaghetti a la Carbonara

This is the original recipe for carbonara, which doesn’t make use of cream. Expect it to be very heavy in sauce—enough to coat the noodles.

Serves 4 
Prep Time 10 minutes  
Cooking Time 20 minutes

1 tablespoon salt
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
      cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup diced pancetta or bacon
500 grams spaghetti

For garnish
freshly cracked black pepper
Pecorino Romano cheese

1  Bring a pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add salt.

2  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, Parmesan, and pepper for 3 to 4 minutes or until thick and creamy.

3  In a medium sauté pan, render the pancetta or bacon until crispy. Remove pancetta from pan and place on a paper towel to remove excess fat.

4  Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Strain the pasta but do not rinse. Add the hot pasta to the bowl with the egg mixture.

5  Fold the egg mixture and pasta together for 30 seconds.

6  Fold pancetta into the pasta. Garnish with grated cheese and extra black pepper. Serve at once.

Egg-mixing tip:  The pasta should be very hot when added to the egg mixture, so that the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs.

If you like this recipe, we highly recommend:

• 10 Ways to Enjoy Spaghetti
• 10 Ways to Enjoy Macaroni
• 10 Lovely Lasagna Recipes
• Pasta Recipes
• 7 Pasta Leftover Makeover Ideas
• How to Cook Pasta Properly
• Q&A: Should oil be added to pasta water or not?

 Photography by David Hanson │ Styling by Sharlene Tan