Recipe

Spaghetti carbonara

Name: Spaghetti Carbonara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) spaghetti; 6 oz (170 g) guanciale or pancetta, cut into thin strips; 4 large egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups (120 g) finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more to serve; 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to serve; Salt, for the pasta water

Italian · 25 min · Medium

Silky Roman pasta made with eggs, pecorino, crisp guanciale and lots of black pepper. No cream needed.

Jump to recipe

A swirl of spaghetti carbonara topped with crisp pork and grated cheese

Photo: Rob Wicks on Unsplash

Real Roman carbonara has no cream. The silky sauce comes from eggs, Pecorino Romano and starchy pasta water, tossed with the hot pasta off the heat so the eggs thicken without scrambling.

It sounds tricky, but there's really only one rule: take the pan off the heat before the eggs go in. Get that right and you'll have a glossy, peppery sauce in about 25 minutes.

Spaghetti carbonara recipe

By FeastPick Kitchen · Updated October 11, 2026

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) spaghetti
6 oz (170 g) guanciale or pancetta, cut into thin strips
4 large egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (120 g) finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more to serve
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to serve
Salt, for the pasta water

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it lightly (the cheese and guanciale are already salty).
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs, pecorino and black pepper into a thick paste.
Put the guanciale in a large, cold skillet and set it over medium heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden and crisp at the edges. Turn off the heat.
Cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water before draining.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the guanciale and toss to coat it in the fat. Make sure the heat is off, and wait about 30 seconds for the pan to cool slightly.
Whisk 1/4 cup of hot pasta water into the egg mixture, then pour it over the pasta. Toss quickly and continuously, adding splashes of pasta water, until the sauce turns creamy and glossy and coats every strand.
Serve right away with extra pecorino and black pepper.

Tips

If the sauce looks thin, keep tossing; it thickens as it cools slightly. If it starts to look grainy, add a splash of hot pasta water and toss again.
Bacon works if you can't find guanciale or pancetta, though it adds a smoky flavor that isn't traditional.