There’s no cream in this classic carbonara recipe. Instead, the creaminess comes from the egg and pecorino being cooked together in the residual heat of the hot pasta and pan.
Ingredients
Method
Cook dried pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.
Meanwhile, combine egg and pecorino in a small bowl. Season.
In the last 5 minutes of pasta cook time, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook guanciale for 3-4 minutes or until starting to turn golden and crisp.
Using tongs, transfer pasta with a very generous splash of pasta water to guanciale in the frying pan. Remove from heat. Add egg mixture; toss vigorously for 2 minutes or until pasta is well coated and sauce begins to thicken, adding more pasta water if needed.
Serve pasta topped with extra pecorino and freshly ground black pepper.
What is real carbonara made of?
The classic creamy-like carbonara sauce comes from the gentle cooking of the egg and pecorino. With just a few ingredients required, this carbonara recipe is a dependable favourite – low in effort and high in flavour and comfort.
Carbonara recipe swaps
Guanciale is an Italian cured meat from the jowl or cheek of a pig; it is high in fat and flavour. You could use pancetta instead. Lardons is the technique of cutting bacon (or in this case guanciale) into short strips, which are then fried.
