Spaghetti Carbonara
The real Roman carbonara with guanciale, egg yolks, and Pecorino. No cream, ever. August's version focuses on a glossy sauce instead of scrambled eggs.
Recipe
Pasta water is the safety net. Add it gradually until the sauce turns shiny.
Use Pecorino Romano for the classic salty bite.
Build the sauce
Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino, and a generous amount of black pepper in a bowl until thick and paste-like.
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, saving at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Timer: 10 min
Crisp the guanciale
While the pasta cooks, render the guanciale in a skillet over medium heat until golden and crisp. Take the pan off the heat.
Timer: 8 min
"Take the pan off the heat before adding eggs. Residual heat is enough to thicken the sauce."
Emulsify
Add the drained pasta to the warm guanciale pan and toss well. Off the heat, add the egg mixture and a splash of pasta water, tossing constantly until the sauce turns glossy.
Loosen with more pasta water as needed. Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and black pepper.