TABELIAAUTHENTIC ITALIAN RECIPE
Authentic Spaghetti CarbonaraSpaghetti alla Carbonara
The traditional Roman pasta made with eggs, guanciale, Pecorino Romano and black pepper—without cream. Its character depends on a smooth emulsion of egg, cheese and rendered pork fat.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (2 servings)
- Guanciale140 g
- Spaghetti200 g
- Egg yolks4
- Pecorino Romano60 g
- Black pepper2 tsp
Method
Bring the water to a boil
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 10g salt per litre of water and stir until dissolved.
Prepare the ingredients
Cut the guanciale into batons about 7mm thick. Finely grate the Pecorino Romano. Coarsely grind the black pepper.
Cook the spaghetti
Add the spaghetti to the boiling salted water and cook until one minute short of the package time.
Render the guanciale
Place the guanciale in a cold frying pan without oil. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat and cook for another 7–8 minutes, until golden and crisp and the fat has rendered clear.
Cool the pan
Turn off the heat and let the pan stand for 1–2 minutes, until it is below 70°C. If the pan is too hot, the egg mixture will scramble.
Make the egg mixture
Combine 4 egg yolks with the grated Pecorino and most of the black pepper, reserving a little cheese and pepper for serving. Mix to a smooth paste that falls in ribbons.
Coat the pasta in guanciale fat
Transfer the al dente spaghetti directly to the pan, reserving the pasta water. Toss over low heat for about 30 seconds, until every strand is coated in the rendered fat.
Start the emulsion
Add a little pasta water and toss over low heat until lightly emulsified. Turn off the heat completely before adding the egg mixture.
Add the egg mixture
With the heat off, pour in the egg mixture and toss quickly until it coats the pasta evenly. Never add the eggs while the pan is still over the flame.
Adjust the sauce
Add reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and flows slowly when the pan is tilted. Add cautiously so the sauce does not become watery.
Serve
Twist the pasta into warm bowls. Finish with the reserved Pecorino Romano and coarsely ground black pepper.
About this dish
Historians still argue about carbonara’s origin. One theory traces the name to carbonaro, charcoal workers; another says it was born from eggs and bacon brought by Allied troops after the Second World War. Neither has a definitive primary source — no written record uses the name carbonara before the 1950s.
In Roman trattorias, it’s almost always on the lunch menu as a primo. It’s just as widely handed down as Sunday home cooking, a flavor Romans grow up with. Guanciale, egg, Pecorino, black pepper — these four ingredients are treated as carbonara’s definition, and locally, any version made with cream is considered not the real thing.
That four-ingredient standard is written into the criteria recognized by the Associazione Cuochi di Roma, Rome’s cooks’ association. Cream versions have spread internationally, but Roman kitchens still keep to the same formula — carbonara stands as a dish that symbolizes Roman food culture itself.
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