I made carbonara again last night. No recipe, no measuring — I've been making it for years and it's the kind of thing my hands just know.
It's a dish that gets ruined by additions. Cream, garlic, peas, onion, parsley — every "improvement" is a small betrayal. The Romans got it right the first time: pasta, eggs, cheese, guanciale, pepper. That's it.
The version I make today has less in it than the version I made five years ago. I stopped adding olive oil to the pan — the guanciale renders plenty of fat on its own. I stopped tossing the eggs in over heat — they scramble. I stopped reaching for parmesan when I was out of pecorino. Fewer ingredients, fewer steps, better dish.
If you're going to make it, make it like this.
Serves 3, or 2 if you're hungover.
- 300g spaghetti (bronze-cut if you can find it)
- 120g guanciale (pancetta at a push)
- 3 large egg yolks + 1 whole egg
- 80g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- Freshly cracked black pepper, generously
- Salt for the pasta water
- Get a big pot of water boiling. Salt it heavily — it should taste like the sea.
- Drop the spaghetti in.
- In a cold pan, render the guanciale over medium heat until crisp.
- Whisk the eggs, cheese, and pepper together in a bowl.
- When the pasta's done, drain it and let it steam-dry for 20–30 seconds.
- Toss the pasta in the guanciale and its fat.
- Off the heat, add the egg mixture and toss until everything is velvety.
- Top with more cheese and pepper. Eat.
No cream. Don't.