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This creamy spaghetti alla carbonara is simple, quick, and will make your family beg you to make carbonara again soon! Learn how to make it here!
Supplies
Ingredients:
- 6 tsp chunky salt
- 30 g (about 5 tbsps) pecorino romano
- 160 g (5.64 oz) spaghetti-We love Rummo!
- 75 g (2.64 oz) guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl) or bacon
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ tsp pepper
1. Boil water
Fill a 4-quart pot of water about an inch from the top and place over high heat.
When the water starts to warm up, toss in the 6 tsp chunky salt and cover pot with a lid (This will bring water to a boil faster.)
2. Measure out ingredients
While you are waiting on the water, prepare all ingredients and set them aside for later.
Put 5tbsp pecorino romano cheese in a small bowl.
Weigh 5.64oz spaghetti.
Remove 2.64oz guanciale (or bacon) from packaging and cut into about 1 x ¼“ strips.
3. Prep your pan
Turn another burner on medium heat.
When hot, add your guanciale (or bacon) to the pan and stir as needed.
It should cook for about 15 minutes but make sure not to burn it!
Helpful Hint
If your guanciale is finished before your pasta, simply turn your heat off and set it to the side.
4. Crack the eggs
Keep only the 3 yolks. Put in a tall bowl and set it to the side.
*You can save the egg whites for breakfast tomorrow morning so you don’t waste food. 🙂
**Remember eggs are compostable. If you are in Italy, you can read more about the trash and recycling system!
5. Add the cheese
Now add about ¾ of the entire bowl of pecorino romano cheese to the tall bowl with the egg yolks.
6. Add the pepper
To the same bowl with the egg yolks and cheese, add about ½ tsp pepper.
7. Add some water
Marco calls this his Italian trick. Steal 1 spoonful of water from your boiling pot (or almost boiling).
Dump it into the bowl with the egg yolks, cheese, and pepper.
Whisk until smooth and blended.
8. Toss the Spaghetti in
When your water is at a rolling boil, put the 5.64 oz spaghetti in the pot.
Gently smooth your spaghetti under the water.
When your spaghetti is boiling again, and the water starts to rise, turn down the heat a bit.
9. Steal more water
Take about ¼ cup of water from your boiling pot WITH spaghetti in and set it to the side.
10. Check your pasta
Our spaghetti takes 9 minutes but we recommend you pull out a piece and taste it to see if it is ready or not.
When the pasta is perfect, turn on the water faucet at your kitchen sink.
It shouldn’t be directly in the colander but on the side. (This helps protect your pipes when you pour boiling hot water down them.)
Put a colander down and dump the spaghetti in. Once most of the water is removed from the spaghetti, you are ready for your next step.
11. Add the spaghetti to the pan with guanciale
Once added, take the spaghetti tool (Marco says it’s VERY important!) Stir it all together. We like to sing here “Stir it up” by Bob Marley for added fun. 🙂
12. Add tall bowl ingredients
Now your tall bowl that contains your egg yolk mix should be added to the pan with the spaghetti and guanciale.
13. Pour in the water
Also, add the water you set aside. Now all ingredients are in one pan. Sooooo close to dinner time! 🙂
14. Stir it up again!
No direction necessary. Do it again (always with your special spaghetti tool!)
15. Separate your pasta
Now, put your pasta into 2 bowls to serve. Be fair!! No one wants the bowl with less pasta in it! 🙂
16. Garnish
Add the leftover pecorino romano cheese and black pepper to taste.
Buon Appetito!
We recommend to always eat your spaghetti or pasta hot! It’s not nearly as good after storage.
Since this dish contains egg yolks, it’s not ideal at all for re-heating.
Enjoy!
XOXOXO
