Spaghetti alla carbonara

Spaghetti alla carbonara

Creamy, salty, cheesy, and dangerously addictive—Carbonara is Rome’s gift to your tastebuds.

Forget the cream (seriously, forget it). This is the real deal—just pasta, eggs, Pecorino, guanciale, and a little magic. One bite and you’ll be saying “Mamma mia!” even if you’re not Italian. Made with love, speed, and ingredients so good they’d make Nonna weep with pride.

Prep: 10 minutes - Cook: 20 minutes

What You Need (Serves 4)

From our kitchen to yours:

• Spaghetti Afeltra – 350g
• Guanciale di Toscana – 120g
• Pecorino Romano DOP – 50g (grated)

From your pantry:

• 4 large fresh egg yolks
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Wide based pan
• Bowl
• Whisk

Instructions

Prepare the Guanciale
Cut into small matchsticks. In a wide pan over a medium heat, cook until golden and crispy (about 8–10 minutes). Remove from heat but keep the guanciale in the pan with the fat —it’s pure flavour.

Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, following package instructions.

Stir up the Carbonara’s soul
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, grated Pecorino, a generous amount of black pepper and 2-3 tbsp of cold water until it forms an emulsion (about 2 minutes)

Bring Together 
Drain the pasta after reserving 1 cup of starchy water. Immediately add the pasta to the pan with guanciale.

Create the Cream
Pour the egg mixture into the pasta and guanciale while tossing quickly. Add the starchy water a little at a time until the sauce is silky and coats every strand. The residual heat cooks the eggs gently—no scrambling allowed.

Serve
Plate up immediately. Finish with more Pecorino and cracked black pepper.

Tips

• Never add cream—Carbonara gets its richness from eggs, cheese, and technique.
• Move fast when mixing—the key to creaminess is timing.
• Use starchy pasta water to control the texture.
• Guanciale is essential. Pancetta or bacon? Not today.

Wine Pairing

Pair with a crisp white like Frascati Superiore, or a light red such as Chianti Classico for a perfect Roman evening.

Bring Italy to Your Table: Make it the traditional way with our carefully selected ingredients –Shop SaporEat for your next taste of Italy.