Spaghetti alla carbonara is a very simple Italian dish composed of just a few ingredients that, when executed well, can be elevated into a fantastic evening meal which takes less than half an hour to prepare. The temperature of the pan must not be too hot so as not to scramble the eggs but just to coat the pasta and create a silky sauce.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 350g of spaghetti
- 150g of smoked pancetta lardons, or bacon
- 4 egg yolks
- 50g of Pecorino Romano, grated plus extra for serving
- 1 dash of olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
1
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti. Cook for 8–10 minutes
2
Meanwhile, fry the pancetta or bacon cubes in a frying pan with a little oil until crispy and set aside
3
Mix together the egg yolks and Pecorino Romano cheese
4
Drain the pasta, reserving a few spoonfuls of the cooking water
5
Add the pasta to the pan with the pancetta over a low heat and stir through the egg and cheese mixture. Add a little of the cooking water until you achieve a creamy sauce consistency
6
Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with a little more grated Pecorino Romano
Variations
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