Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

A classic Italian pasta dish made with eggs, cheese, pancetta, and pepper. This creamy, savory dish comes together in under 30 minutes and is perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 6 oz pancetta or guanciale, diced
• 4 large egg yolks + 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
• Freshly cracked black pepper (lots of it)
• Salt for pasta water

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining.
2. While pasta cooks, cook pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, whole eggs, and Pecorino. Add a generous amount of black pepper.
4. Add drained hot pasta to the skillet with pancetta. Toss to coat in the rendered fat.
5. Remove skillet from heat completely. Pour egg mixture over pasta and toss vigorously. The residual heat cooks the eggs into a creamy sauce. Add pasta water a splash at a time if too thick.
6. Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and black pepper on top.

Key tip: Never add the egg mixture over direct heat or you’ll get scrambled eggs instead of a silky sauce. Off the heat, toss fast.

Cooking Time: 25 minutes