Carbonara Dos and Don’ts
Pasta carbonara is a true Roman classic and might be one of my personal favorite pasta dishes. Tender pasta, crisp guanciale or pancetta, all suspended in a sauce made with eggs, black pepper, and lots of grated cheese, it is everything that makes Roman food so amazing wrapped up into one.
But believe it or not, you don’t need to shell out at an expensive restaurant or fly to Rome to experience such a delicious classic. It is entirely possible to make a delicious carbonara from the comfort of your own kitchen, but there are a few rules to follow to ensure you end up with creamy perfection rather than a peppery pasta omelet, which might sound good, but isn’t carbonara.
Today, I’m going to share what to do and what not to do, so that hopefully the next time you make carbonara, you’ll feel like a chef that was trained in Rome.
(And if you wish to go straight to the recipe, then you can simply scroll down to the bottom.)
Do cook your bacon slowly
Whether you’re using guanciale or pancetta, both of which are cured pork products similar to bacon, one made from pork jowl and the other from pork belly, and both of which are acceptable, it’s best to cook the guanciale over a low heat so that you’re slowly rendering the fat and getting the guanciale somewhat crisp, which will add a wonderful texture to your finished carbonara.
Think of it like cooking regular bacon, if the heat is too high then the guanciale/pancetta will brown too quickly, or even burn, before the fat has had any chance to melt down, and you need that fat to add some extra richness to your sauce.
Don’t overcook the pasta
This is more of a rule for cooking pasta in general, but you want to be very careful that your pasta doesn’t cook too long or it will be too soft and mushy.
If you look at the directions on the box of pasta, it’ll tell you a cook time for al dente or cooking the pasta until it is bendable but still has a touch of resistance when you bite into it, well you want to cook the pasta about a minute under that as once you add the pasta to the pan with the bacon and egg mixture, it will continue to cook.
Prepare your egg mixture separately from the pan
I’ve seen this before where someone makes carbonara by dumping their pasta into the pan with the guanciale and cracking in their eggs right on top, then adding the cheese and pepper from there. There are many reasons why this is wrong.
The eggs might not get fully beaten so you might end up with streaks of egg white in your sauce, the eggs might cook too fast and end up scrambling, and there’s a fat chance everything will be combined evenly.
Your best bet is to combine your eggs, cheese, and pepper in a separate bowl, then adding that to the pasta and guanciale to ensure a smoother sauce.
DON’T USE PRE-GRATED CHEESE!
As if I have to explain this one. I’m sure that pre-grated parmesan found in the pasta aisle that you’d likely find in packets with your delivered pizza seems convenient and has a shelf life, but this is wrong on many levels.
Pre-grated cheese is dried out and won’t melt, the flavor isn’t that good, it was probably grated months ago, and is likely full of preservatives to make it shelf-stable. Do yourself a favor and grate your cheese by hand, it’ll give you that sharp saltiness you deserve and will melt within the eggs to make your sauce even creamier.
Same goes for the black pepper, you want to always use fresh ground pepper. Pepper mills aren’t super expensive and grinding the pepper yourself will give you the pungency you need.
Do remember to steal some of the pasta water for your sauce
Another general pasta cookery rule, but while the pasta is cooking you want to steal some of that starchy water and add that to your egg mixture. We do this for the same reason why we add a splash of hot liquid to our eggs when making custard or lemon curd, the idea is to warm up the eggs slightly so that when we add it to the pan with the pasta, they won’t immediately scramble.
And while you’re at it, why don’t you steal some of the fat from your guanciale for the same purpose?
Don’t stop stirring once you’ve combined all your ingredients in the pan
Now is the critical moment where you combine your pasta with the guanciale and add in the egg mixture.
As soon as those eggs meet the heat, the clock is ticking, you gotta start stirring the pasta around to ensure the eggs don’t cook too fast on you, and don’t forget to add some more of that pasta water I mentioned earlier.
Before you know it, that mess of eggs will cook just enough to give you a creamy, luscious sauce that you will want to serve right away.
Follow all of these tips, and you will find yourself with a beautiful carbonara that would make any Nonna proud.
Serves 4-5
8 oz guanciale or pancetta
Salt, for the pasta water
1 pound spaghetti
4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano, plus more for topping
3 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
If using guanciale, then cut off the outer rind, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the guanciale into a wide nonstick pan over medium-low heat, then cook for about 15 minutes, or until the fat has rendered and the guanciale is nice and crisp.
When the guanciale is close to being done, add the spaghetti to the water and cook for about 7 minutes, or until extra al dente.
In a heatproof bowl, combine the eggs, yolks, cheese, and pepper. Steal 1/4 cup of the rendered fat from your guanciale, then whisk that in as well.
Add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the egg mixture, then drain your pasta and add to the pan with the guanciale along with the egg mixture. Remove from the heat, then continuously stir the pasta with tongs until the eggs cook slightly and form a creamy sauce, then serve, topping with more grated cheese.
