Traditional Italian Carbonara is a classic dish made with only 5 simple ingredients. Learn the traditional techniques to create a perfectly rich, creamy sauce.
Carbonara is one of my FAVORITE pastas. It's so simple, yet full of so much flavor. The best part of this dish is its simplicity. All you need is 20 minutes and 5 ingredients to make this rich and creamy classic for your family.
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📋 What is in traditional carbonara?
- Pasta - The sauce for carbonara is rich and creamy. For that reason, a long thin noodle works best. My favorite is spaghetti or bucatini; Linguine or fettuccine work too!
- Cured Pork - Pancetta or Guanciale are traditionally used in Italian carbonara and add a slightly smoky flavor. Guanciale is made from pork cheeks and pancetta is made from pork belly. Pancetta, however, is easier to find, so that is what I use. Bacon can also be used for a less expensive option that is easier to find.
- Cheese - Pecorino Romano cheese is the traditional Italian cheese used to make a rich, savory sauce. It's a hard cheese similar to parmesan, sold in most grocery stores. If it's hard to find, use parmesan as a substitute. Either way, I HIGHLY recommend buying a wedge or block of cheese and grating it yourself. This is KEY to making the sauce creamy because pre-grated cheese doesn't melt as well.
- Eggs - I prefer using whole eggs in carbonara. Some recipes will use only egg yolks which will create a richer sauce. You can also use 2 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs for a sauce that lands somewhere in between. Either way, bring them to room temperature before you begin so they don't scramble.
- Pepper - This is the last and final ingredient needed to add just the right amount of spice to the sauce. Like the cheese, I recommend using freshly cracked pepper for the best peppery bite.
👩🏻🍳 How to make traditional carbonara
First, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water (See my perfect pasta cooking ratio below). While the pasta cooks, cook the pancetta until it is crispy, then turn off the heat.
Whisk the eggs with the pecorino romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper in a small bowl until they are well combined.
When the pasta is al dente, drain all but ½ cup of water from it. Heat the pancetta back up over medium heat until the pancetta sizzles, then add the pasta and reserved water and toss to combine.
Take the pan off the heat and pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta. Toss the pasta and let the heat from the pasta melt the cheese into a creamy sauce. Serve immediately with extra cheese and pepper!
🍝 The Perfect Pasta Cooking Ratio
1 Pound Pasta - 4 Quarts Water - 1 Tablespoon Salt
🍝 More classic Italian pasta recipes
If you want to learn more classic Italian pasta recipes, like this Traditional Carbonara, check out these other classics below.
📖 Recipe
Traditional Italian Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti uncooked
- 8 ounces pancetta or guanciale (diced)
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese plus extra for serving (if desired)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
Instructions
- First, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.1 pound spaghetti
- While the pasta cooks, saute the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until crispy on all sides, then turn off the heat.8 ounces pancetta
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl with the pecorino romano and black pepper and then set it aside.4 large eggs, 1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- When the pasta is al dente, drain all but ½ cup of the water from it.
- Heat the pancetta back up over medium heat until it sizzles, then add the drained spaghetti and reserved pasta water. Toss to combine and then take it off the heat.
- Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and toss constantly until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Serve immediately with extra pecorino romano, if desired.
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