Spaghetti Carbonara
Carbonara is a Roman pasta built on four core ingredients: guanciale, egg yolks, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. The guanciale is rendered until crisp, and its fat becomes the base of the sauce. Off the heat, a mixture of yolks and grated cheese is tossed with the hot pasta and starchy cooking water to form a glossy emulsion - no cream involved. The dish takes under 25 minutes from start to finish, though temperature control at the sauce stage is critical to avoid scrambling the eggs.
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Instructions
- 1
Boil salted water and cook spaghetti to al dente.
- 2
Dice guanciale and cook in a dry pan until crispy and fat renders out.
- 3
Whisk egg yolks, whole egg, grated cheese, and black pepper together.
- 4
Reserve 100ml pasta water before draining; add drained pasta to the guanciale pan.
- 5
Off heat, add egg sauce and pasta water gradually, tossing vigorously until creamy.
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