Very few dishes are as famous and mouthwatering as a nice rich, authentic carbonara! Perfectly crisp guanciale dresses the bucatini pasta with a sauce of pecorino, egg yolk, and cracked black pepper and it only takes 20 minutes to prepare! That is all there is to it, and that's why timing and the quality of the ingredients are of the essence. For the ultimate Italian delicacy, get your big bowls out, it's time for bucatini carbonara!
All Italians know the sentence 'carbonara is not an opinion', which explains our visceral love for this dish.
Carbonara originated in the central Italian region of Lazio [where Rome is] and requires very little time and few ingredients to come together. Pasta, egg yolks, guanciale, pecorino, and black pepper are all you need, so make sure they are fresh and of good quality.
My cousin used to be an executive chef, and, having been fully trained in Italy, I absolutely relished the time we spent together here in London. He was the funniest guy you could ever meet!
So, Luigi, this post is for you... thank you for filling our days with laughter and our bellies with the best Italian food!
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💎 Why This Recipe Works
- It requires very few ingredients [only 5!] and takes under 20 minutes.
- This recipe is 100% authentic, and traditional, and offers an easy way to impress your guests with little time.
- You can use any pasta shape you like!
🛒Ingredients
Ingredients Notes
- Bucatini Pasta: These are thick spaghetti with a hole going through them length-wise, which I used for the bucatini pomodoro recipe too! They can usually be found in larger grocery shops or specialty delis.
- Egg Yolks: You will need three room-temperature egg yolks every 5 oz [150 grams] of raw pasta. You will add the raw eggs to the hot pasta, so they will cook that way. However, for peace of mind, you can buy pasteurized eggs.
- Guanciale: This is cured pork jowl [lower cheek], and it is very fatty, the reason why no extra virgin olive oil is required in this recipe.
- Pecorino Romano: This is a hard cheese made of sheep milk; it has a nutty flavor and is quite strong.
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper: It is important that it is fresh and cracked, not ground. Bear in mind that the outer skin of the guanciale is covered in pepper, so adjust the amount used accordingly.
📑 Substitutions and Variations
- Pasta: You can use any pasta shape you like!
- Guanciale: Should you not find it, you can use pancetta or bacon instead, but for this, you will need some oil [and I must add you won't be making the original recipe].
- Cheese: Many prepare their carbonara sauce using only pecorino, while some like to use a cheese mixture of pecorino and parmigiano reggiano or grana padano, as they are made of cow's milk, so they are a little milder. You do you and choose your cheese based on your taste!
🔔 Be sure to check out the recipe card for all the ingredients and instructions you'll need to make this dish. Don't miss out on any of the details!
👩🏻🍳 How To Make [Step-by-Step]
Carbonara Sauce
- Bring the eggs to room temperature. Room-temperature eggs don't curdle when hot pasta water is added. Once done, separate the yolks from the egg whites.
- Add the egg yolks, grated cheese, and black pepper in a mixing bowl [Picture 1].
- Mix well and set aside [Picture 2].
Prepare The Guanciale
- WHILE YOU COOK THE GUANCIALE: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add your bucatini. Set a timer to ensure you drain the pasta while al dente; follow the package directions for the time.
- Cut the guanciale in thin stripes, removing the skin. [Picture 3]
- Add the guanciale to a cold large skillet. [Picture 4] It is essential that the pan is cold, as while it warms up, the fat renders and fries the meaty part until perfectly crisp.
- Warm up the pan on medium-low heat until the outer part of the guanciale is crisp while the inside is warm and juicy. [Picture 5]
- Remove the crispy guanciale bits from the pan and set them aside, leaving the fat in the pan. [Picture 6]
Putting The Ingredients Together
- Take a cup of cooking water and set it aside for a minute or two.
- Mix about three tablespoons of the pasta water with the egg mixture until you achieve a rich, creamy sauce. [Picture 8] That is your carbonara sauce!
- When the pasta is one minute from being ready, reheat the fat in the pan if it has gone cold, and remove it from the flame.
- Drain the bucatini pasta and add them to the frying pan, quickly mixing them with the fat of the guanciale.
- As soon as this is done [it shouldn't take more than 10-15 seconds], add the carbonara sauce to the pan and mix well. [Picture 9] The residual heat will do the magic!
- Within seconds, the hot noodles will start thickening the sauce. [Picture 10]
- Serve immediately with a little more cheese on top, and enjoy!
🙋 People Also Ask [FAQs]
Traditional carbonara is a pasta dish made of egg yolks, pecorino romano, guanciale [cured pork jowl], black pepper, and any pasta shape of choice. Parmesan cheese, either parmigiano reggiano or grana padano, are often mixed with the pecorino.
Authentic carbonara sauce never has garlic, onions, peas, mushroom, or cream. Although many delicious recipes are similar to carbonara and add these ingredients, they can't be called carbonara, as nice as they may be.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- How to thicken carbonara sauce: Should your sauce not thicken when added to the hot pasta, bring the pan to a low flame and mix. Within very few seconds, it will thicken. This is not the traditional way of doing it, but I know the first time I was cooking this, I miscalculated the time and had to go down this route.
- Eggs: Don't add whole eggs! In Rome, they would say you are not trying to prepare a frittata. Adding whole eggs will make scrambled eggs, while you want a creamy creamless sauce. Don't add cream!
- What to do if you don't have guanciale: If you are using pancetta or bacon, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the frying pan and warm up; once warm, fry the diced meat until crispy outside but juicy inside. Reserve the oil as you would the fat.
- Black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is too fine and tends to overpower flavors, while cracked pepper is more subtle while offering some heat.
- Pasta: This dish is better prepared with dry pasta than fresh egg pasta, as it may make the dish too heavy.
- If the pasta goes too dry: If the pasta goes too dry, add more of the reserved pasta cooking water and mix until creamy.
- Freshly grated cheese: Try to grate the cheese yourself. Pregrated cheese tends to have additives to keep it from sticking together in the package.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Bucatini carbonara or any carbonara can't be stored and should be eaten immediately, as it is not suitable for reheating.
As the recipe is very quick to prepare and requires under 20 minutes, the only things that can be prepared in advance are only the dicing of the guanciale or pancetta, and the grating of the cheeses.
🍴 More Delicious Recipes to Try
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🍽️ Recipe
Delicious Bucatini Carbonara The Italian Way
Ingredients
- 5 oz Bucatini or any pasta shape of choice
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 oz Guanciale or pancetta or bacon
- 4 tablespoon Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Prep time
- Bring the eggs to room temperature. Once done, separate the yolks from the egg whites.
- Mix the egg yolks, grated cheese, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the guanciale into thin strips or squares.
Cooking time
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add your bucatini. Set a timer to ensure you cook the pasta until only al dente; follow the package directions for the time.
- Add the guanciale to a cold large skillet. It is essential that the pan is cold, as while it warms up, the fat renders and fries the meaty part until perfectly crisp.
- Warm up the pan on medium-low heat, until the outer part of the guanciale is crisp, while the inside is warm and juicy.
- Remove the crispy guanciale bits from the pan and set them aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Putting the Bucatini Carbonara Together
- Take a cup of cooking water and set it aside for a minute or two.
- Mix about three tablespoons of the pasta water with the egg mixture until you achieve a rich creamy sauce. That is your carbonara sauce!
- When the pasta is one minute from being ready, reheat the fat in the skillet if it has gone cold, and remove it from the flame.
- Drain the bucatini pasta and add them to the frying pan, quickly mixing them with the fat of the guanciale.
- As soon as this is done [it shouldn't take more than 10-15 seconds], add the carbonara sauce to the pan and mix well.
- Within seconds, the hot noodles will start thickening the sauce.
- Serve immediately with a little more cheese on top, and enjoy!
Notes
- Should your sauce not thicken when added to the hot pasta, bring the pan to a low flame and mix. Within very few seconds, it will thicken. This is not the traditional way of doing it, but I know the first time I was cooking this, I miscalculated the time and had to go down this route.
- Grated parmigiano reggiano and grana padano are much milder than pecorino romano, so don't be shy to mix them up or use either of the two instead of pecorino.
- Freshly ground black pepper is too fine and tends to overpower flavors, while cracked pepper is more subtle while offering some heat.
- Use any shape of pasta you want, from spaghetti to penne; they all work, but ensure to cook them al dente.
- If the pasta goes too dry, add more of the reserved pasta cooking water and mix until creamy.
- Try to grate the cheese yourself. Pregrated cheese tends to have additives to keep it from sticking together in the package.
- Bucatini carbonara or any carbonara can't be stored and should be eaten immediately. This sauce is unsuitable for reheating, so it should be eaten straight away.
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