Perfect Carbonara

Ingredients

• 100 g Pasta
• 50 g Guanciale
• 12.5 g Pecorino Romano (Freshly grated; use as half of the cheese blend.)
• 12.5 g Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano (Freshly grated; use as half of the cheese blend. The source gives these as alternatives.)
• 2 Egg yolks
• 0.5 g Black pepper (Freshly ground.)
• Starchy pasta water (Add a little at a time; quantity not specified. Reserve from cooking the pasta.)

Steps

1. 1

   Cook the pasta until it is almost ready. Reserve some of its starchy cooking water before draining; the source does not specify a cooking time or method.

2. 2

   While the pasta cooks, render the guanciale in a pan until lightly golden brown.

3. 3

   Freshly grate the Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano, using equal amounts of the selected cheeses. Mix the cheese with the two egg yolks and freshly ground black pepper.

4. 4

   Once the pasta is almost ready, take the pan off the heat. Add the egg-and-cheese mixture to the pan; keep it off the heat while combining.

5. 5

   Control the temperature as you work toward about 55–60°C. Add starchy pasta water a little at a time, mantecare (mixing to emulsify) until the sauce is smooth and glossy and coats the pasta.

6. 6

   Taste as you go. If the sauce is too rich or too thick, add a little more pasta water at a time until it comes together.

7. 7

   Serve when the sauce is smooth, glossy, and coating the pasta.

Notes

The source does not specify pasta type, water quantity, or a pasta cooking time. It recommends practicing the recipe repeatedly to learn the sauce's desired look and feel.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• Italian
• pork
• contains gluten
• contains dairy
• contains egg
• stovetop